Dark Side Calling: Summons of the Dark Side
by Higuchimon
Summary: All Digimon are to serve the Digimon Kaiser: including those who are part human. Whether they want to or not. Especially when they're the most powerful Digimon or half-Digimon known. But when that most powerful one has ideas of his own, it could start up a war that no one can win. [hiatus: see profile for details]
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Summons of the Dark Side  
 **Characters:** Taichi, Yamato, Ken, Daisuke|| **Romance:** Taichi x Yamato  
 **Chapter Word Count:** 2,187|| **Story Word Count:** 2,187|| **Chapter Count:** 1/30  
 **Genre:** Romance, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, K5, multichap with 20+ chapters; Include The Word Boot Camp, #8, famous; What-If: What if any of the 02 cast was Kaiser's slave  & What-if the Kaiser captured Yamato in early 02?; February Secret Multichap Advent Exchange, written for Tomoe Mami, prompt #9, falling; Character Diversity Boot Camp, #31, experiment (Yamato)  
 **Notes:** This takes place in a sparkling new iteration of my breed-verse. Those of the Chosen who participated in the first adventure know of their nature as part Digimon (Yamato, Koushirou, Sora, and Jou). The others will be unfolded during this tale. There will also be Taichi x Yamato/Yamato x Taichi and mind control. If anything else worthy of a warning comes up, I'll state said warning.  
 **Summary:** All Digimon are to serve the Digimon Kaiser: including those who are part human. Whether they want to or not. Especially when they're the most powerful Digimon or half-Digimon known. But when that most powerful one has ideas of his own, it could start up a war that no one can win.

* * *

He prowled the innermost reaches of what tiny domain could be called his – not that he did, he would never claim such a tiny place as his own – disturbed and unsure of why. Something was wrong Out There. The greater world, the wider world, the place where _he_ got to roam around as he pleased.

Something was wrong and he didn't know what it was, and that disturbed him far more than he wanted to think about. He didn't _get_ disturbed. He disturbed other people – usually to the point of running, screaming, and things being on fire.

 _Everything_ being on fire.

Let it never be said that Anbumon, Dark Prince of the Digital World, ever did anything half-way.

Shadowy flames danced over his fingertips as he stared into the enfolding shadows around himself. To other eyes, the flames wouldn't have revealed anything, but his flames revealed things to him and him alone. At least they usually did. Right now he saw nothing, and that just made that creeping sensation of dread even worse.

He ground his teeth. He couldn't often see anything anyway, locked up here in the innermost depths of his ridiculously good other half, but that dread bespoke of unpleasantness to come.

He much preferred to be the one who caused the dread, not the one feeling it.

Well. If whatever it was wouldn't reveal itself, then he had ways to find it on his own. If _his other_ would co operate enough to let him know what was going on.

He reached out. He could feel the other's presence, and expected at any moment that awareness would turn towards him, snap at him, demand he get back and not bother him.

Yamato could be _so_ rude when it came to himself. If it wouldn't have hurt him, Anbumon would've gladly taught his 'good' side a few lessons on how to treat a prince with respect. Especially Anbumon.

But now it seemed that the other's attention was focused outward, without a hint of being aware that Anbumon stretched even the tiniest bit out of his confinement.

That was a trifle interesting. Normally the moment Anbumon set the ghost of a toe outside of that small area, Yamato's attention flickered to him without fail. The blond was, after all, very determined to never let Anbumon have a moment's breath of air, let alone any actual _fun_.

"What is going on?" Anbumon murmured, mostly to himself, since he had no one else to truly communicate with. "What has your attention?"

Perhaps something about his voice did turn Yamato toward him a little. At any rate, the shadows parted for a single heartbeat and he saw two figures, one of which he recognized, one he didn't.

One was Takaishi Takeru. Yamato considered them brothers and they shared blood through their mother. Anbumon didn't claim any relatives of his own save his father – and he wasn't always thrilled about that, but if it weren't for Piemon, he wouldn't exist at all.

Of course the dried-up old clown was gone now, and good riddance to him.

Then Anbumon took another look and a spark of low-burning rage lit in his shadow-blue eyes.

Someone had taken the liberty of chaining Takeru up. Anbumon didn't consider them kin, but because Yamato did, Anbumon considered Takeru _his_. If anyone were to raise a hand to the younger boy, they would answer to _him_!

Now he saw who else stood there. It wasn't any face he recognized, but there was something vaguely akin to recognition in the back of his mind. He couldn't pin it down just yet, but there it hung in his mind.

Whoever this was, they didn't dress like the average human or even in any fashion that could be found in the Digital World. Some sort of uniform, blue and white for the most part, and a long cape, their face covered by a visor.

"Now who is this?" He leaned forward, trying to leech what information that he could from Yamato.

The _first_ bit he got was that someone had a firm grip on his arms, keeping him from using any of his attacks or weapons. That all by itself put Anbumon in a bad mood. He much preferred being free to unleash havoc at a moment's notice.

He knew Yamato wasn't as bloodthirsty as he was – quite a pity, especially now – but he could tell some of what his other half _felt_ and right now, Yamato's rage bordered on letting _him_ out.

Oh, now _that_ was interesting. Anbumon could count on the fingers of one hand how many times that had happened. Yamato valued his freedom far too much to let his dark side take control willingly too many times, if at all.

Anbumon could understand that. After all, if he had control, he'd never let Yamato back out himself.

He focused his thoughts more, searching for information. Bit by bit he scraped up what he wanted. This stranger was the Digimon Kaiser. Yamato knew little more than that; there was another name that hovered there, but Anbumon cared little for that. This boy thought he could rule the Digital World. Anbumon's lip curled at that. _He_ was the rightful ruler of the Digital World, inherited from Piemon.

Some might argue about that, but he cared little for the opinions of others. He focused now on learning what this whole situation was about.

He pieced together the little bits he could. There wasn't much. The Digimon Kaiser somehow abducted Takeru and then lured Yamato here. The fury that boiled up at that, and the wariness that matched it, had been what caught Anbumon's attention.

The Digimon Kaiser could control Digimon through devices. While no one of Ultimate level had yet been controlled, it seemed that the Kaiser wanted to test those waters, and his target was Yamato.

That made sense, in Anbumon's mind. If this method of control worked on the most powerful Ultimate who existed in the Digital World – him – then it could work on any of the others as well. The problem, it seemed, would be keeping the Chosen Children from finding out how to destroy the new control device. He couldn't get a sense of what it was, though images of the known type – a Ring and a Spiral – flickered through Yamato's thoughts.

He could only see what Yamato had seen, though, so it could well be that this Kaiser had only spoken of his plans and hadn't displayed the device yet. It was in Anbumon's best interests to see to it that his brighter half didn't get controlled at all. He could always persuade Yamato to let him out. He did not know this Digimon Kaiser and any being who sought to control _him_ wasn't to be trusted at all.

Nor was Anbumon, but that was neither here nor there at the moment.

The problem was that Yamato couldn't fight back very well, not with Takaishi being held against him. He would try to resist, of course, that was in his nature. But there would be no violence against the Kaiser or his minions, not when the Muysamon Anbumon now saw looking up near Takaishi could slit the boy's throat in a heartbeat.

Something was off about that Muysamon as well. Tanisha's eyes kept cutting to him, and he looked _upset_ , not afraid. Upset and angry.

Anbumon considered that for a moment, then tucked it away to deal with later, if he got a chance to deal with anything at all. For all that he watched, it was Yamato would have to act, unless he could persuade his bright half to hand over control.

For all that they were one being at the core of themselves, only one facet of their personality could dominate at any given moment. Anbumon spent the overwhelming majority of his existence curled up in the deepest, darkest depths of their soul, only mildly aware of what was going on around, and caring even less.

Which made those moments when he could get out that much more destructive. When he got to get out, he wanted to _do_ all those things that so often remained denied to him.

If the Kaiser somehow managed to control him, then he would only destroy at someone else's command, and Anbumon didn't take orders from others. Especially not children who were younger than he was.

He turned his attention once more to this 'Kaiser', considering him carefully. Certainly around Takaishi's age and no one that he'd known before. Did this mean there were new Chosen? That made him more than a little curious. Since he cleaved to his Viral roots far more than Yamato did, the sudden return of the Digital World to their life hadn't gone unnoticed. But he'd dismissed it for now as merely the gateway opening again, something he'd known could happen sooner or later.

Knowing how the Chosen were pushed this way and that to satisfy the whims of those greater than themselves, he supposed he should've guessed that some sort of 'problem' had turned up, likely this Kaiser here.

He'd gathered all of that in a handful of moments, during which little more than a few barbed words flew between Yamato and Kaiser, with Takaishi throwing a few in when he wasn't staring at Muysamon. Where _had_ Kaiser picked up one of those, they didn't appear very often. Even Piemon hadn't had one, but would've found one useful.

Now Kaiser held something in his hands, a goblet of fine workmanship, filled to the brim with some liquid as black as night, smoking ever so slightly. There wasn't any odor to it, but Anbumon didn't trust it at all.

"Drink this." Kaiser's voice held the faintest echo of something Anbumon hadn't heard in years, and hadn't thought to hear again unless it was in his own voice. Was this _possible_? Most things were possible, once one got down to it, but probable? Perhaps not all that much.

Yamato shook his head roughly. The side of Kaiser's mouth quirked. He spoke without looking over his shoulder to where Takaishi hung in his chains.

"Muysamon."

The ninja held a blade to the younger blond's throat, a thin line of red appearing there a heartbeat later. Yamato straightened as much as possible.

"Stop that!"

"Drink this, then." Kaiser was nearly as relentless as Anbumon himself could be.

 _If I'm right, there's a reason for that._ But right or not, Anbumon didn't like what was going on. He liked even less the sight of Yamato's hands reaching for the goblet.

He would've stopped it if he could. He didn't care enough about Takaishi to suffer if Muysamon cut his throat or not. He would avenge it, without a doubt, for no one harmed what was his, but sometimes death happened.

Yamato thought differently, and he still held full control of his own actions. He took the goblet into his hands and threw the contents down his throat, swallowing it without another bit of hesitation.

"Yamato!" Takaishi ignored the blade so close to him and threw himself harder at his restraints, using language that Anbumon hadn't known he'd known. How someone could grow in just a handful of years.

Anbumon couldn't feel everything that Yamato did. But he did get the backwash of emotions, filtered and pale as they were. Only in rare cases could he detect the full strength version, such as the rage and worry that caught his attention the first time.

But as the foul liquid coursed through Yamato's system, he realized he could feel something: he could feel _himself_. He could feel his entire body slowly waking up, which happened only in one situation: when he held full control of their form.

He began to smile. He could sense Yamato's own awareness dwindling, a sort of mental cage of shadows forming around him, much like where Anbumon himself 'lived' the majority of his existence.

He moved his hands, flexing them, not trying any of his attacks or weapons as of yet. But he would, soon enough. He wanted to get himself settled in before he took advantage of his new freedom.

A throat cleared nearby. Anbumon ignored it in favor of stretching his arms up and out and moving a little, enjoying the sensation of being _able_ to move in his body. Yamato had grown since the last time he'd done this, and while his mental image of himself matched the growth, this was the first time he could genuinely _feel_ it. He'd clearly kept up his practices as well; muscle lurked underneath this green jacket. He would have to put himself through his paces to see what he could do now.

Again the throat cleared and now he turned to look the Digimon Kaiser dead in the face.

"Whatever do _you_ want?" Anbumon sneered. The Kaiser's eyes flashed with a recognizable rage, but he kept his voice more or less calm.

"I am the Digimon Kaiser. But you can call me _master_."

Anbumon's lips twitched. "Oh, really. I can?" The twitch turned into a slow smile. "I don't think so."

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** So, a new story begins. This is Anbumon, who is effectively everything evil and viral about my breed-verse!Yamato. He is very much Piemon's son. You'll learn more about him as the story progresses. I'm going to try for regular Tuesday updates, but don't hold me to that. Things always come up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Word Count:** 2,171|| **Story Word Count:** 4,358|| **Chapter Count:** 2/30  
 **Challenges:** February Secret Multichap Advent Exchange, prompt #2. promise

* * *

Kaiser did not like this at all. He'd gone to a great deal of trouble to create the serum that would bring him the most powerful being that the Digital World had ever seen – what everyone he'd talked to about it told him was Anbumon – and he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

He glanced toward Takeru, considering for a moment if threatening the blond would give him the results that he wanted. The thought remained tempting, but he couldn't count on it. Anbumon, to all reports, cared emotionally for almost no one. Kaiser approved of that, but it did make managing him difficult.

But he wasn't going to give up on this. He would find a way. He _always_ found a way to get what he wanted.

"You asked what I wanted," Kaiser said, side-stepping around the issue of what to call him. "What I want is the total domination of the Digital World." Before Anbumon could respond, he hurried onward. "Between the two of us, I believe we can achieve that."

Appeal to his ego, that would do it. But he also had another way. He held that in reserve.

Seeing the features of Ishida Yamato with such a twisted cast to them: the same face but a flash of cold eyes, a twist of mocking lips, his head held high with pride and power…

The Kaiser wasn't used to looking at Ishida at all. But looking at his evil mirror image seemed right somehow, in a deep part of Kaiser that he hadn't yet fully acknowledged.

"I can do that on my own. And I've come closer than you ever could." Anbumon dismissed him with a wave of one hand. "What else can you provide?"

At least he was listening. Kaiser could work with that. His mind raced and landed on an option he hadn't thought of since learning of it.

"Work with me and not only will we absolutely succeed in taking over all of the Digital World on a permanent basis, but I'll ensure that you have Yagami Taichi, to do with as you please, for as long as you please." He'd noticed their friendship on earlier trips they'd made to the Digital World. Surely Anbumon would have some sort of interest, even if it wasn't entirely like what Ishida himself had.

Kaiser wasn't certain of what sort of relationship this sort of situation bred, but if it could be useful, he'd try almost anything.:

Anbumon considered, a thoughtful tilt to his head. Takaishi muttered under his breath, but neither of them paid much attention to him. Kaiser had other plans for him, ones that involved lots of screaming, but they could wait until later. He needed to get his new ally secured first.

"What else? I could have him whenever I want him." Anbumon's lips quirked. "He always seems to think that he can bring out my 'good side'. I look forward to persuading him that I don't have one anymore."

Kaiser hadn't intended to let the information out this soon, but Anbumon clearly was much more stubborn than originally anticipated. "Unfortunately, you do. The serum that I gave you is only temporary. You'll have to take it repeatedly."

There was more involved with it that he didn't think Anbumon needed to know right now. One step at a time would get him the results he wanted. Geniuses like him didn't rush things. It had taken long enough to come up with the serum and brew it in the first place. He could take more time if he had to. He just didn't really _want_ to.

"He doesn't need to know that," Anbumon pointed out. He folded his arms over his chest and regarded Kaiser in all thoughtfulness. "These are my demands, which you will fulfill if you wish me to work with you."

Kaiser wasn't at all used to other people trying to tell him what to do. But the blade that hadn't yet left Anbumon's hand was somewhat persuasive, especially as it still pointed at his throat, and Anbumon behaved in all ways as if he could keep doing this forever.

"Go on."

"Yagami Taichi belongs to me. If any of your minions so much as scuff his shoes without my authority, I'll end them and you." Anbumon smiled. "You will provide me with that serum to keep me around, without any unnecessary limitations on it." He examined the nails of one hand thoughtfully. "You'll also give me Takaishi here. He'll be of more use to me than he is to you."

Kaiser considered protesting that one. The rage he could see in Takaishi's eyes changed his mind almost at once.

 _I think he'd hate being around Anbumon even more than he does me._ That entertained Kaiser far more than he had ever dreamed it would.

Not to mention that he really did have plans for someone else, and it wouldn't be fair to split his attention.

"Very well," he decreed. "Is that it?"

Anbumon tilted his head back. "For the moment. I expect all of my personal needs to be met, of course."

"Of course." Kaiser tried not to roll his eyes. He'd never tried to bargain with someone before, much preferring brute force or control via the Rings and Spirals, but only an idiot wouldn't have anticipated that. "I've already had a suitable set of quarters prepared for you."

"Good." The sword vanished with little more than a flick of his fingers. "If you'd be so kind as to show us there now, we can discuss other matters later." His lips curved, a smile of terrifying motions. "Such as crushing this world beneath my feet."

 _Or mine,_ Kaiser hissed inwardly, plastering one of his own smiles on. "Of course. Wormmon!"

Anbumon's gaze flicked over to the approaching Digimon. "Ah, you have one of them too. I wondered."

Wormmon peered up at the legendary child of Piemon. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but Kaiser cut him off.

"Have him shown to his room. Takaishi and Muysamon will go with him."

Wormmon bent his head at once, making a quick motion to Muysamon, and started to wriggle out of the room, Muysamon – holding Takaishi – and Anbumon following.

Kaiser didn't even relax once they were out of there. He had too much he still needed to do. But he didn't regret not having that sharp-edged blade and the frost-blue eyes above it pointed in his direction.

* * *

Takeru wanted to scream. He wouldn't have been surprised if screaming were in his very near future, but those would be screams of pain and agony, not frustration, and now it was that raw frustration and rage that burned inside of him.

He wanted, he _needed_ to let go of some of that. He didn't often feel the need to punch someone in the fact, but if Anbumon and the Kaiser had both quietly stood there and let him do it, or if he could just get the drop on them, then he would punch both of them until neither of them could stand up on their feet.

But Kaiser had been too focused on Anbumon and taking Anbumon by surprise wasn't a thing that could happen all that often. He could do it. He wanted to, anyway. But not now.

And not with _Muysamon_ standing right there, with that godawful _Evil Ring_ around his neck.

Just looking at him made Takeru's blood burn and stomach churn to the point he kept being surprised he didn't throw up right away. This wasn't right and he knew he could fix it if he could get the Spiral off, but it wasn't happening. Not yet.

 _Anbumon's an Ultimate. He's more than strong enough to get it off. So maybe..._

"This is where you'll stay," Wormmon murmured as they came to a halt outside of a door. Takeru hadn't ever dreamed of the Kaiser's base having personal quarters. The idea of the Kaiser going down for a nap or eating breakfast hadn't ever occurred to him before.

In all truth, he hadn't spared more than a few moments thinking about the Kaiser in the first place, except when they were fighting. It just didn't make a difference to him.

The door slid open and Anbumon strolled inside, looking around with one lip that curled up within seconds.

"I suppose it's adequate," he said dismissively. "Now, where to put _you_."

Takeru tensed himself up. "I'm going for 'back on Earth where I belong'." _And then you can put yourself back inside of Yamato and give me my real brother back._

Anbumon gave him a very smug smirk. "Oh, no, I don't think so. I've got a few ideas on how to deal with you and your partner here."

Takeru paled before he rallied himself. He forgot sometimes how _sharp_ Anbumon could be.

"I'll make you a deal. You get us out of here and get the Spiral off of Patamon and I'll do what you want." He knew that was a dangerous bargain to even consider making with Anbumon, but his choices weren't the best.

Though in absolute truth, he would do almost anything to save Patamon.

Anbumon only smiled at him, though. "I don't think so. I like the Kaiser's offer better than yours right now. Though you're going to do anything that I want anyway." Again his sword appeared in his hand and he cradled it for a moment, one steel-blue eye turned toward Muysamon. "Because if you don't, I won't take it out on you."

Takeru groaned, flopping his head back, before he snapped around, glaring. "What are you planning to do anyway?"

"You were right there. You heard what that newbie and I planned." Anbumon tossed himself down on the couch and gestured to Muysamon. "Let him go for now. He can't get out of here and he knows better than to attack me." A quick, harsh smile danced over his features for a few seconds. "At least he'd better."

Muysamon released Takeru but didn't move far away from him. Takeru brushed himself off and settled down on a chair, trying to figure out what he could do. That serum needed to work itself out of Anbumon's system for the surest chance of Yamato reasserting himself. But then Anbumon would just take another dose of it.

 _Okay. That's not going to work. Not yet, anyway._ He wasn't even close to ready to give up. He just didn't know what all of his options were at the moment.

"I expect you to do whatever I tell you to do without hesitation. I don't care how you feel about it. Once I get Taichi here, you two aren't going to make any secret plans to escape. Or any open ones for that matter. You're just going to behave yourself, and if you don't, I hurt your poor little corrupted partner there." Anbumon leaned forward. "I think that should cover everything."

Takeru snarled under his breath, fingers tightening into a fist, and without allowing himself the luxury of thinking, he swung right at Anbumon's jaw.

He didn't actually connect, because Anbumon's hand flew up and caught his fist. The grip tightened, pain shooting all up through his arm and shoulder, as Anbumon twisted and pulled until Takeru yanked him down to the floor.

"This one time, I'll make it a personal object lesson." Anbumon set one foot on Takeru's other shoulder and began to grind his foot in. For all that he still wore Yamato's green school uniform, his eyes gleamed with the thrill of hurting someone else.

He was, indeed, Piemon's son.

"But from now on, remember: the pain will be your partner's. So _behave_."

Anbumon finally released him, but when Takeru tried to get up, gestured him to stay where he was.

"I didn't say the lesson was over. Stay down there. I like seeing you like that, anyway." He smiled. "Because _he_ doesn't."

Takeru knew who he meant. The idea that Yamato was probably making Anbumon's ears ring with his rage appealed to him. But he stayed where he was. He wasn't going to give Anbumon any more opportunities to hurt him or Musyamon.

* * *

Anbumon lounged back on the couch and took in everything around him. Somewhere along the way Wormmon had vanished, probably off to see to whatever needs the Kaiser had. So it was just him, Muysamon, and his new punching bag.

He liked having something to take his frustrations out on, and he had a lot of those. He wasn't in full control here and he hated that.

He looked back at Takeru finally. "So there are new Chosen. Who are they?"

Takeru blinked for a moment. "How'd you know that?"

Anbumon rolled his eyes. "The Kaiser's one of them. He wouldn't have a partner if he wasn't. I doubt he's the only one, either. Talk to me, Takaishi. Tell me what I want to know."

He didn't threaten Muysamon. He didn't need to. Takeru sighed and started talking.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Anbumon is going to shake things up a bit. Until now, the 02 Chosen of Miyako, Daisuke, and Iori haven't had any idea about some of their friends being part Digimon. That will soon change.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Word Count:** 2,017|| **Story Word Count:** 6,375|| **Chapter Count:** 3/30  
 **Challenges:** February Secret Multichap Advent Exchange, prompt #12, letter

* * *

 _Where is he?_ Taichi didn't think he'd been this worried since everything with the Kaiser and Agumon. He didn't dismiss the possibility that he was even more worried now, given that Yamato was the one missing.

Yamato and Takeru, he wouldn't forget Yamato's brother, but Takeru could probably get out of most things with Patamon's help. Yamato, on the other hand…

Well, there was a reason that that most of the older Chosen trod very carefully when they were in the Digital World. No one knew when or how the Kaiser might be watching them, and if he saw something that could catch his attention…

Ever since everything with Agumon and the invention of the Evil Spirals, the Kaiser hadn't come out all that often, though. A few shouting matches here and there, but that was it. Daisuke held firm that they were beating him and he was too stubborn to admit it. Takeru had been – was – more cautious, suspecting that he had something he was plotting.

Taichi kind of favored Takeru's opinion at the moment, but it really wasn't that much of an argument. They'd find out sooner or later, and he kind of preferred sooner, just to get the whole thing out of the way. He'd been considering plans for what they could do to defeat the Kaiser once and for all, but nothing had really become set in stone just yet.

Which was why Yamato and Takeru both being missing worried him to the point he could hardly stop himself from pacing and staring at the school's computer.

Koushirou flicked his attention away from the situation on the screen – just Daisuke, Hikari, Miyako, and Iori fighting one of the Kaiser's be-Ringed slaves – and frowned at him.

"You're not going to help them by fretting like this."

"I know, I know." Taichi still kept on pacing back and forth. It gave him something to do, at the very least. "But it's been two days since they vanished and we haven't heard a thing."

Koushirou let out a sigh. It was very deep and very heartfelt and very tired. "I am well aware of that. The others have been searching ever since we knew what happened. We'll find them, sooner or later."

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about," Taichi muttered. The thing was, they hadn't been able to search since they knew it happened. Only since they knew _what_ happened in the first place. Because they didn't know what happened other than Takeru and Yamato being around one minute and not the next.

"Hey, we're done here!" Daisuke's voice came over the computer. "We checked out everywhere and there's nothing we could find. So we're coming back."

Taichi wanted to tell them not to come back unless they had Takeru and Yamato, but he knew that would just get him another sharp look from Koushirou.

The younger team shuffled about a little, talking to the Digimon they'd just freed, and right when they were on the verge of coming back through the gate, Taichi's D-Terminal beeped.

"This better be something good," he muttered as he hauled it out. The first thing he saw was that it was from Yamato's address and sheer joy replaced the blood in his veins. They were all right! They were safe!

Then he read the message and his blood instead turned to ice water. He carefully set the D-Terminal down on the nearest desk, turned until he found the clearest and closest patch of wall, and slammed one fist into it, over and over again.

"Uh, is he all right?" He could just hear Daisuke's voice and he slammed his fist even harder before he turned around and plastered something on his face that might've been a smile if someone didn't look very closely at him.

Unfortunately his friends, old and new alike, knew how to look at him closely, and none of them looked as if they were falling for this for a single second.

"I'm fine. I just need to go do something in the Digital World. Could take me a while, so I'm coming on through. I'll let you know when I'm ready to come back."

Koushirou was already on his feet, paler than usual, fists clenched. "Is it..."

In answer, Taichi turned his D-Terminal so Koushirou could see the damning message written there.

 _It's been far too long, Taichi. Or perhaps not long enough, depending on who you ask. But what you need to know is that I'm back and I'm ready to pick up where my father and I left off._

I'm obviously not working with the old loon this time, but I have a new partner. Perhaps you've heard of the Digimon Kaiser? I'm sure you have.

Come to the Digital World, Taichi. Come to me. I have little treasures that I'm sure you want, and you're a treasure that I want. So come along and be a good boy and don't let any of those newer Chosen come with you.

Though some of them are very interesting indeed. I might have to introduce myself to them later. But we can have some fun first, can't we? I've been waiting for you for what feels like forever.

Everything he feels I feel. Everything he knows, I know. You know that.

Come to me, Taichi. Come home.

And the last word, the final word that told Taichi everything he needed to know and hadn't wanted to know at all: _Anbumon_.

"They're going to have to know," Taichi muttered. "You're going to have to tell them."

Koushirou started to shake his head, but Taichi held up one hand. "If I don't go, he'll hurt Takeru, Gabumon, and Agumon. You know he will."

The redhead sagged back down. "You're right."

Taichi knew he was right. He wished he wasn't. He ran a hand through his bushy hair, then pulled out his Digivice. "I'll do what I can."

Koushirou offered a tiny, tight smile. "It worked before, didn't it?"

"Sure did." Taichi's smile wasn't any better than Koushirou's. But now he faced the computer and downloaded himself into it, crossing the barriers between worlds.

He appeared in front of the younger Chosen, and Hikari looked the most worried of them all. He caught her eye long enough to give her a tiny nod and then a quick headshake. The faintest of signals, but enough for the two of them. She bit her lip, casting a glance down at Tailmon, who didn't look any happier about it than Taichi himself felt right now.

"You guys be careful. We don't know what the Kaiser has planned," Taichi said, for all the world as if this were just a quiet little trip that didn't mean that much, something he'd planned for weeks.

Iori frowned at him. "Taichi-san, this is Friday. Do you intend to stay here until tomorrow or Monday?"

"Not sure yet," Taichi said with a toss of his head. "This is kind of personal stuff, guys. I'd let someone else do it if I could." Which was an absolute lie. There wasn't anyone else capable of handling Anbumon. He didn't think WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon could stand a chance against him, if they could even get their partners to evolve that high again.

But now he gave a simple wave and headed off into the woods on what looked like a random choice of trail. It wasn't that, either. Taichi knew where he had to go. Everything he'd needed to know had been in that letter.

Normally on a trip to the Digital World, their partners would meet them somewhere along the way, drawn together by the bonds that wound them as one. That wasn't happening this time. Taichi walked for nearly an hour before he came to a sprawl of ruins, covered with enough mold and stray overgrowth that it gave the impression of having been there a thousand years.

The Digital World had a lot of places like that. But this particular ruin had only existed for about three years. He knew, because he'd seen it wrecked with his own eyes.

Here was where Piemon's castle had once shone, terrifying and proud and a place he'd spent too much time once upon a time.

"The old place has really gone to hell, hasn't it?"

Taichi whirled at the voice. It wasn't unexpected; this was what he came here to do, after all. But after three years of nothing but Ishida Yamato – and being grateful for that every moment of every day and night – looking into the face of Anbumon, Dark Prince of the Digital World, would never not be a shock.

Physically, he looked exactly like Yamato, as well he should. The same basic features, at least. But his golden hair now streaked in shadowy black, and his eyes weren't the warm blue of the sky, but ice-blue and too amused to be safe around.

Every inch of him was wrapped up in tight-fitting black armor, with tiny threads of scarlet and gold here and there. It looked even better on him than it had when he first wore it at the age of eleven, having grown some muscle over time.

"Anbumon." Taichi grated the word out. "How'd you get out of your cage?" He knew Yamato kept his darker side locked up tight, to the point he couldn't even get a word out most of the time.

All of those who bore Viral blood had to do that, if they were going to function in human society in any way. Yamato was very, very good at it.

"That was the gift of my wonderful new friend, the Kaiser." Anbumon lounge against a convenient tree, twirling a sharp-edged dagger between his fingers. "Did you know he's like me? He doesn't. I haven't told him yet." Anbumon smiled, the expression far too much like Piemon's for Taichi's personal comfort.

There wasn't a lot about Anbumon that Taichi really found comfortable in the first place.

Then exactly what Anbumon said clicked into place and Taichi groaned. Bad enough that they had one of them running around, but _two_?

Anbumon pushed himself off of his tree and strolled over to Taichi, turning the move into a circling, stalking walk, where he refused to turn his eyes from Taichi.

"I really have missed you. _Ishida_ hasn't made any moves at all, I see. Idiot. Well, it's my job to do the things that he won't do, and I suppose that includes _this_." His smile flickered colder. "It's his own fault, of course. If he'd bothered to try anything, I wouldn't have to."

Anbumon usually made some sort of cold, rational sense. In that much, he was as unlike Piemon as he could be without actually being Yamato. But now Taichi couldn't follow him from one sentence to the next and settled for a confused, "What?"

Anbumon reached out, grabbed Taichi by the collar, and pulled him so close Taichi could feel the monster's breath on his lips. "This."

At fourteen, Taichi hadn't been kissed before. He'd had a few thoughts on the matter, and entertained a few people he would've liked as potential candidates to do the honors. Yamato, of course, had effectively topped the list, but neither of them had made any real moves in that direction.

Anbumon jumped over making moves and took what he wanted, sucking at Taichi's lips, pulling him close to the point Taichi could feel the armor pressing against him, and growling in pleasure when Taichi almost automatically began to kiss back. That was what one did when they were kissed, right? Especially by someone who bore the face of their best friend and potential crush.

But then common sense reasserted itself in his head and Taichi pushed himself away, at least so much as Anbumon would allow it, with his arms wrapped around the brunet.

"What was _that_ about?" Taichi panted, heat rising all through him. For all of his imaginings, this surged far past his dreams and into a state of reality that he'd never thought of before.

Also, Anbumon was a _really_ good kisser.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Yes, there's sorta history there. The older breeds found out who/what they were in their first adventure, after all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Word Count:** 2,060|| **Story Word Count:** 8,435|| **Chapter Count:** 4/30  
 **Challenges:** February Secret Multichap Advent Exchange, prompt #15, warmth

* * *

 _Me first._ Anbumon all but purred at the thought. His other side, for all that he was supposedly the 'good' one, wasn't going to get _this_ first. He wanted it as much as Anbumon did; the dark prince knew that very well.

But he was the one who would have Yagami Taichi, first, last, and always. Ishida Yamato would never surface again.

Somewhere deep in his mind, a place he knew far too well, he could feel the faintest of twitches. Something – that serum – kept Yamato from surfacing, but he wasn't all the way unconscious, no more than Anbumon himself ever was.

Anbumon wasn't certain of what the other saw or felt, but he decided it would be far more interesting to give anyone watching – from inside or out – a show. Without bothering to answer Taichi's question, he pulled him close and started all over again.

His kiss slowly moved from Taichi's lips to his throat, one hand sliding up to grip onto Taichi's hair and tilt his head back. The effect was of Taichi exposing his throat in submission and Anbumon growled lustfully, thoroughly enjoying the mental image.

Taichi tried to wiggle a little but Anbumon tightened his grip. He traced his tongue across the hollow of Taichi's throat before he began to bite. He was no vampire, not like Vamdemon's son, but he wasn't trying to draw blood. No, he simply worked at the bare skin with teeth and tongue, keeping Taichi in place with the hold on his hair and his other arm wrapped around him.

Taichi tried to make noise of some kind as well, but they weren't the kinds of noises that Anbumon wanted to hear. He wanted passion, he wanted pain, he wanted Taichi to understand their situation and who was in charge here.

"A-a-anbu-" Taichi managed the closest thing to a word, and since it was Anbumon's own name, he allowed it. He didn't stop his work, though, crushing Taichi closer to him.

Besides, he didn't think Taichi really wanted to _talk_.

Satisfied at last, he pulled back to admire his work. The newly formed bruise glowed sharp and clear, where anyone could see it.

"I think we're done for now," Anbumon murmured, kissing the side of Taichi's mouth.

Deep brown eyes looked back at him, shot through with confusion and hints of unwanted passion. Anbumon smirked.

"Unless you want more? I've barely begun to enjoy myself with you, you know." He slipped his hand through Taichi's bushy hair and kissed him again, this time right on the mark he'd left. "Though I'd rather wait until we didn't have your pesky friends around. Some things should be done in private."

More confusion, until Anbumon tilted his head, gaze shifting behind Taichi. The other turned and blinked.

"What are you guys doing here?"

Anbumon didn't recognize them on sight, but from the descriptions he'd been given, he could figure them out. There were only four of them. He recognized Yagami Hikari, of course. She'd grown up some. Tailmon stood next to her, eyes on him, claws out and ready for combat.

Right in front, though, stood someone about Hikari or Takeru's age, with reddish-brown hair and large cinnamon-ish eyes, with a blue dragon Digimon with him. He also wore Taichi's old goggles, which led Anbumon to recognizing him from Takeru's description: Motomiya Daisuke, the new leader of the Chosen.

On his left was a taller girl with long violet hair and a brown and white bird Digimon next to her. She stared at him in confusion, clearly not understanding what was going on in front of her.

On the right was a younger boy, solid and dark-haired and stern, whose eyes hadn't left Anbumon for a single moment. His Digimon was another one that Anbumon didn't recognize, a hard-shelled one that looked as wary of him as all the rest did.

He did rather like it when anyone feared him. They really should.

He dismissed the younger boy and Hikari without hesitation. One look told him what he wanted to know. But the other two drew his attention right away.

 _So that's the one that the Kaiser wants._ He could see why. Power burned in this Motomiya Daisuke, sharp and clear and strong, a power that even Anbumon couldn't fully identify. It was Digimon power; the boy carried the blood in his veins. But to what extent, Anbumon wasn't certain of.

 _He's either a Perfect or an Ultimate. And almost definitely Viral._ That told him what he wanted to know. And even better, what the Kaiser would want to know.

Children needed to be distracted with toys, after all.

On the other hand, the girl made him want to recoil, and only his iron will let him choose otherwise. She was not only an Ultimate, she was a _Vaccine_. A Holy Beast Vaccine at that.

He judged all of that in a single breath. He kept Taichi within his embrace, pleased that the other clearly had obeyed his command not to have them come with him. Of course, they _had_ followed, but that was no more than what their elders would have. And that meant whatever they saw or heard now, they deserved it.

"We were worried about you!" Motomiya declared, eyes flicking back and forth between the two of them. "Why didn't you just tell us that you and Ishida-san were meeting up here?"

"That's not Yamato." Hikari said, her voice far sterner and angrier than he remembered her ever being in their infrequent encounters before. "That's Anbumon."

The other three gave her near-identical looks of confusion, then the youngest one shrugged. "I don't know who Anbumon is, but he _isn't_ Ishida-san, no matter how much he looks like him."

"How very wise of you," Anbumon said. "But what else could one expect from Hida Iori, the new Child of Knowledge?"

The boy jerked, eyes widening briefly, before he rallied himself. "How do you know who I am?"

"Did you really think I wouldn't learn what I could before I came out here?" Anbumon chuckled and shook his head, leaning closer so he could trail his tongue over Taichi's throat. He liked hearing the noises Taichi made _so_ much.

The noises that the intruders made had a special quality of enjoyment all their own.

"Now," he said, lifting his head up a fraction. "You know why he's here. He's with me. I may or may not let him go back. It depends on how much fun I want to have."

They made more noises and he wasn't certain if any of those made a bit of sense. Daisuke did manage to snap out something that was somewhat coherent, though.

"Are you why Takeru's missing?"

Anbumon took his time answering. He'd really thought about letting Taichi go back to them and taking him up on a more permanent basis later. Stoking the fires of fear and rage would always amuse him. But now he reconsidered. Perhaps it could be more amusing if he took Taichi with him now. Let this new young leader see what it was like without someone to fall back on.

Finally he met the other's eyes. Yes, absolutely a Virus, and either Ultimate or Perfect.

"Yes and no. I didn't take him but I'm making sure he doesn't come back. We'll take you all, sooner or later." He let his gaze slip away, not wanting to hint at who Kaiser planned to take first. "Some sooner than others."

Hikari's shout of rage surprised him, as did Tailmon leaping forward. She was small and quick and knew how to use it to her advantage, leaping onto Taichi's shoulder and then slashing her claws at Anbumon's face.

Pain shredded into him and he backhanded Tailmon into the nearest tree.

"I should reformat you for that alone," he growled, staring at her, dropping one hand and letting one of his swords appear in it. He could hear the whispers of fear and surprise from three of them, and the snap of rage from Hikari. She almost never got angry. He liked getting under her skin like that.

He still kept his other arm around Taichi, not ready to let him out of the warmth of his embrace. Energy began to build up at the tip of his blade; unlike Yamato, he knew how to channel his fires through anything. The swords that were so much a part of him were the perfect tool.

Tailmon shook her head and leaped away just as he lashed a stream of shadow-edged flames at her. Hikari stood by her side a fraction of a heartbeat later, something in her hands that he didn't recognize. He guessed what it was as light began to shimmer from it and Tailmon stated to evolve.

 _Angewomon? No..._

Angewomon would've been trouble enough. He was still more powerful than she was, but he didn't do well against Vaccines. He hated that, but nature was nature.

Instead what came out of that light of evolution was a white-armored horse, declaring herself Nefertimon. Anbumon wanted to snarl and fought to keep his composure. Takeru hadn't mentioned anything about _that_.

* * *

Kaiser watched the scene with careful eyes, noting everything that he thought might be useful later. He didn't really care for Anbumon's toying with Yagami Taichi, though he did take a few mental notes that could be useful for plans of his own.

But now battle looked on the edges of being joined. Most of his monitors remained focused there, while another one flicked through the images brought by his unceasing surveillance of the Digital World. There was a Digimon out there he would find, no matter how much that one tried to hide.

His attention fell back onto Motomiya Daisuke, even as he evolved his partner to FlaDramon. _FlaDramon, Holsmon, Nefertimon, and Digmon versus Anbumon._

Kaiser always recorded such interesting battles, though he seldom kept them for long. He enjoyed finding ways to nullify his enemies, even if so far they'd managed to overcome them all. But turning one of their own against them, through his own Viral nature? That, Kaiser truly wished to see over and over again.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered how this translated into the game terms. He hadn't encountered this as an kind of an option before. Something about it didn't feel entirely right.

Nor did it feel wrong. IT felt more as if he'd been mistaken about something and now the truth hovered within his grasp.

He ignored it for now. He had a battle to fight. Not only was Anbumon outnumbered, but his battle tactics were limited, since he refused to let Yagami Taichi go.

 _Should I send him some help?_ Not to fight with, so much, but someone who could keep hold of Yagami while Anbumon dealt with the Chosen.

No. Not yet. He wanted to see what Anbumon could do in this situation, and the more drawbacks to his power, the worst position he was in, the more he would learn.

So he leaned forward and while all of his instincts wanted him to watch Daisuke, he paid attention to his new ally instead.

* * *

Taichi struggled against Anbumon's grip, not so much trying to escape as he wanted to hinder him fighting. Armor Digimon were strong, but Anbumon was _Anbumon_ and he didn't want to find out who was stronger by his friends getting killed, especially not right in front of him.

Anbumon kept him close, though, even as he charged up another attack on his sword. That voice, so much like and unlike Yamato's all at the same time, murmured into his ear.

"You're going to have to be a good boy, Taichi. I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"At least not by you, right?" Taichi grumbled, still struggling and not having a great deal of luck in his efforts to move. Anbumon sounded even more amused.

"Exactly. You're coming back with me."

Taichi drew in breath to protest the idea. He'd sort of planned for it, anticipated it, but he didn't really want to do it. He never got the chance to express any of that, not when a sudden sparkle of shadowy clouds appeared on Anbumon's finger, right in front of Taichi's face, and the power of Anbumon's secondary attack of _Endless Slumber_ swept over him.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Events are moving along nicely here!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Word Count:** 2,165|| **Story Word Count:** 10,600|| **Chapter Count:** 5/30  
 **Challenges:** February Secret Multichap Advent Exchange, prompt #5, pieces

* * *

Anbumon gave the gathering Digimon an extremely amused look as he straightened up from tucking Taichi underneath a tree. He knew the Chosen wouldn't hurt him, but this gave him more freedom in a battle.

And there was one right here on the verge of dawning.

He rolled his shoulders and took another look at those who dared to stand against him. He didn't like fighting Vaccines and he wasn't good at it.

But Anbumon saw no reason to confine his fighting to the Digimon.

He sliced a wave of black-edged flames toward the weakest of the bunch, the only human there who had no experience with his particular tactics: Hida Iori.

Digmon darted in front of him, spiral weapons raised to defend, but even as the flames struck, Anbumon moved on to his next target. A sly swift smile darted over his lips as he raised both hands, doing something he seldom did, mostly because he knew how much it would terrify her.

On his right hand glowed fire. On his left glowed the night.

"Pick, Hikari," Anbumon ordered, keeping himself ready to move at the same time. He wasn't in as much shape to fight as he had been once, mostly because he'd spent the intervening three years out of control of the body. But he learned fast and Yamato had at least put in _some_ practice.

All of that meant that he needed to keep them from engaging with him and to overwhelm them with fear as soon as possible.

Hikari hardly had time to speak or think before Nefertimon stood in front of her.

"You can keep your mind games to yourself, Anbumon!" The horse Digimon declared. "Leave Taichi and give us back Yamato!"

Anbumon chuckled, weaving his hands so that his attacks switched positions over and over again.

"If you're not going to pick, then I'll pick for you!" He swatted one hand to the left and upwards, where the Vaccine girl and her flying partner tried to come in on him from high above. "Do you really think that's going to give you an advantage?"

The two of them dodged out of the way; they were fast, he could and did give them that much. But even as Hikari started to shout something – and he suspected on what it was – he took to the air and lobbed another pair of dark fire at the bird and friend.

"Here's a tip. Before you try to fight me, learn who you're facing. Not only can I fly," he said as he darted this way and that, tossing mixtures of his fires and the sleeping enchantment all around, not caring where they hit, so long as they hit something, "but I _don't play fair_."

And now both hands shimmered in shadows as he blasted fire towards Hikari.

Nefertimon had taken to the air as soon as he had, trying to keep him pinned, and he'd let her think she was doing it. But now fire raged toward her partner and as fast as she was, she wasn't fast enough, and they could all tell.

But someone else was. Someone else darted in front of Hikari, knocking her out of the way, and sending her skidding across the grass, even as the blaze of flames seared into him.

Motomiya Daisuke screamed, his vest and shirt searing off of him. He collapsed where he stood and FlaDramon landed beside him, reduced back to V-mon in a matter of seconds.

Anbumon dropped down by him, a tiny hint of worry burgeoning. Kaiser made it plain that he wanted this boy, as much as Anbumon wanted Taichi, and if that couldn't happen, Kaiser would be very upset.

That could work towards Anbumon's long-term plans well enough, but it would also come with Kaiser being very annoyed and irritating for a while, and Anbumon saw no reason to put up with that if he didn't have to.

"Leave him be!" V-mon shouted, wavering. Anbumon suspected that he'd lost more strength than he showed but other than that, ignored the blue Digimon in favor of checking on his partner.

"He's alive," Anbumon murmured, more than a little surprised. His attack hadn't been at pure killing level, but he'd rather presumed Hikari would be seared and burned and need medical attention of some type.

But Motomiya looked more as if he'd be fine with a little rest and some good food to restore his energies.

 _He's not been here long enough to learn what he is. This must be something natural to him._

He made up his mind as he scooped Motomiya up into his arms and then looked up into the skies.

"Send an AirDramon, Kaiser. I have two pretty toys coming back with me."

"You won't!" Hikari started toward him and he casually shifted Motomiya over to one shoulder to give himself a free hand.

"Since when do I take orders from _you_?" he asked, even as he tossed an Eternal Slumber towards her. She tried to dodge out of the way, but there wasn't enough time or space, and it hit her head on. Her eyes widened for the briefest of moments before she dropped, eyes closing, breathing slow and regular.

"Hikari!" The purple-haired Vaccine stumbled towards them, a little singed herself from a few encounters with his fires, but still in fighting fury. "What did you do to her?"

"I put her to sleep. I thought that was obvious." Anbumon kept his attention on the skies even as he spoke. The base wasn't that far away, so sending an AirDramon shouldn't take much more time. He would've much preferred taking them back on his own, but carrying two well-grown people was a bit much even for him.

Not that he couldn't, but he also needed to watch his back. He didn't trust these Chosen, not when he would be making off with both their leaders.

He wondered briefly just who would take over, even as the familiar form of an AirDramon crossed over and lowered itself down to the ground.

"Where do you think you're going?" Hida Iori demanded. Anbumon rolled his eyes.

"Where do you think I'm going? Learn to ask smarter questions, if you'd be a proper Child of Knowledge."

It took only a few moments before Anbumon was situated on the AirDramon, Taichi still asleep at his feet, Daisuke out like a light in his arms. V-mon bounced up to join him, giving Anbumon a very stern look, and Anbumon rolled his eyes. _Partner Digimon_.

"Let's go," he ordered, and the AirDramon lifted up and headed away.

* * *

Miyako tried to think of what she could do, even as she shook Hikari in the hopes that would wake her up.

"I've never seen anyone like that before. He looks so much like Yamato-san, but he's not him and all those things that he could do..." She kept talking because it made her feel better than just sitting there shaking her friend.

Iori stared into the distance where Anbumon, the AirDramon, and his new prisoners vanished. A thousand thoughts crowded for space in his mind, but he put them aside for the moment as he went to a small trickle of a stream not that far away and tested it.

"This is cold," he reported. "Let's find something to put it in and see if that will wake her up."

Miyako tilted her head, then her eyes went wide with understanding, and she scrambled to her feet, yanking her helmet off of her head. "Let's try this!"

It did work, though not all that well, water leaking the seams. It was more than good enough as a head-covering, but to carry water? Not all that well.

Still, they were able to get enough there to throw over Hikari, who spluttered and coughed and stared up at them out of confused eyes.

"What happened?" she wanted to know, looking all around before her shoulders slumped. "He took them, didn't he? He took my brother and Daisuke-kun."

Tailmon, who stood next to her now, nodded. "We didn't dare attack him while he had them so close. We could've hurt one of them."

"He did hurt Daisuke-kun," Hikari murmured, fingers clenching and unclenching. "He might even have..."

Iori shook his head. "I heard him say Daisuke-kun was alive. But I don't know why he would take him like that."

"You can never be sure of what Anbumon is up to. Except that it's going to hurt as many people as possible. He's a lot like Piemon like that." Hikari's words dripped such bitterness that Miyako and Iori hadn't ever heard before from her.

Miyako reached over to rest a hand on Hikari. "Who was he? I mean really? Why does he look like Yamato-san?"

Hikari let out a sigh, gathering Tailmon close to her. "Because he sort of _is_ Yamato. There's… there's a lot that we haven't told you. Taichi wanted me to tell you earlier, before we followed him out here. I knew I should have, but I … I was scared it _was_ Anbumon, and I didn't want it to be. I wanted him to just be talking to Agumon or something."

Her voice quavered. "But I guess we do need to let you know."

"Yamato is half-Digimon," a familiar voice spoke up, and they all turned to see Sora, Jou, and Koushirou coming closer. "Come on. We'll tell you everything when we're back home."

Miyako wondered why those three were there, but there wasn't really time and she didn't think it mattered too much. She made certain Hikari didn't need any help getting up, and together they made their way to the nearest exit.

The idea of coming back with just what they had, herself and Hikari and Iori, sent chills all through her. They were down almost by half and Daisuke was, no matter how annoying he was, one of their strongest fighters. Miyako couldn't convince herself that the Kaiser would let him go so easily this time.

They couldn't lose this fight. They just couldn't.

* * *

On the other side of the gate, in the computer room, everything was as silent as possible. Koushirou closed the computer down and looked up at the others.

"I've been working on trying to get gates open on other computers, but right now, I can't. We also can't stay here overnight. The best that we can do is come back tomorrow. If the Kaiser or Anbumon can open a gate somewhere, I might be able to track it, if it's close enough." He considered that carefully. "Though Tamachi is definitely out of my range."

That didn't surprise anyone; if he'd been able to track a gate opening in Tamachi, then they would've guessed much sooner about the Kaiser's true identity.

Slowly they made their way out of the school and to the streets outside. Miyako held Poromon close in her arms, trying to put all of this together and not having a great deal of luck.

"So...what is it? What aren't you telling us? What _haven't_ you told us?" Miyako finally ended up asking. That would cover most of it.

Though she kind of thought she could tell some of it already. Anbumon hadn't hidden himself at all. It was just putting it all together in a way that made even a bit of sense.

"Yamato, among others of us, is half-Digimon. His biological father is Piemon, of the Dark Masters," Koushirou said. "What – who – you met there is what happens when all of the Virus Digimon in him forms an awareness of its own and asserts dominance over his body. This happened once before, when we had our own adventure. It took us a great deal of time to find a way to _un_ do it, and since then, Yamato hadn't let it happen again at all."

"And I don't think he let it happen this time," Sora put in. "With Takeru having gone missing, it kind of feels to me like the Kaiser's got a hand in things."

Miyako wasn't going to argue about that. "So why would he do this? Just because he can?"

"Probably. But also for power. The Digital World doesn't have a government the way that we're used to," Jou said. "But some Digimon do carve out territories of their own, and rule there. Piemon was the only one who claimed enough of it so that he referred to himself as an Emperor, and because of that, Anbumon considers himself the Prince of the Digital World, and heir to Piemon's domain."

Koushirou nodded before he added something that sent chills all through them. "Add to that, Anbumon is _the_ most powerful Digimon that we've ever encountered. There may be others who are stronger – Piemon talked about Digital Gods once – but for the average Digimon? Anbumon is as far above them as a… an Adult level Digimon would be above a hatchling. And unlike Yamato, he is absolutely Piemon's son and heir."

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Next time, we will be with Daisuke. Who is about to learn something about himself.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Word Count:** 2,166|| **Story Word Count:** 12,766|| **Chapter Count:** 6/30  
 **Challenges:** February Secret Multichap Advent Exchange, prompt #23, cold

* * *

When Daisuke opened his eyes, the first sight that met them was one that he wished didn't. On a list of 'do not want to see', the Digimon Kaiser came pretty close to the top. He groaned and tried to close his eyes again. Maybe he was dreaming. Granted, any kind of dream that involved the Kaiser would be more like a nightmare, but he didn't think it mattered what he called it.

A smooth-gloved hand closed around his wrist and tightened until Daisuke yelped and his eyes flew open again.

The Kaiser was still there. Complete with annoying smirk.

And Daisuke thought if he could properly see those eyes, then they might even look … concerned?

No, that was ridiculous. Why would the Kaiser ever be concerned about _him_ , unless he wanted to get rid of him personally and someone got in the way of that.

Getting in the way… memory surged back and he tried to get up, this time finding out that he'd been chained down.

"Hikari-chan! Miyako! Iori! What's going on? Where are they?"

Then _everything_ around him sank all the way in and he stared, completely unable to process this right away.

He lay on some sort of lab table, manacles keeping his arms and legs held down. He was also naked from the waist up and twisting his head showed him a singed vest and shirt that he recognized as his Digital World clothes.

The Kaiser, of course, stood right in front of him, and off to one side there was that guy Anbumon, who looked too much like Ishida Yamato for anyone's comfort, and by his feet, still out like a light, slumped Taichi-senpai, ankles chained together and arms behind his back.

Kaiser cleared his throat, bringing Daisuke's attention back to him. "It's about time you woke up."

"It's faster than I expected," Anbumon said, his fingers going through Taichi-senpai's hair. The older brunet sighed in his sleep, leaning closer.

Daisuke struggled harder, despite the restraints. "Stop touching him! Let us go!"

Kaiser tightened his grip on Daisuke's wrist, holding it right above the manacles. "You are going to be quiet. You belong to _me_ now." One of his better terrifying smirks twisted his lips. "You always have, but now I'm going to make it permanent."

"You've lost it," Daisuke replied without a bit of hesitation, still straining at the bonds. "So, instead of gloating, you want to actually tell me something _useful_?"

"I have already. That you belong to me." Kaiser didn't lose a bit of his smugness. "But there is something that you can tell me." He rested a hand on Daisuke's chest. "You shouldn't be like this."

Daisuke rolled his eyes. He really wanted to get the Kaiser's hand off of him, but no matter how hard he fought, he couldn't do it. "Yeah, I could've told you that. I shouldn't be in here and neither should Taichi-senpai, and I don't think _you_ should be either!" He aimed that last one at Anbumon, who barely even blinked at it.

Instead, he leaned forward to stare into Daisuke's eyes. "You, like an idiot, ran right into my fire. My fire isn't a _candle_. It isn't even a fireplace. It's not an oven. My fire is _unholy hellfire_."

Daisuke wanted to scratch his head. He couldn't quite figure out what the other was talking about. "So?"

Anbumon stared over at the Kaiser. "Please tell me that your tastes actually run to idiots."

"He needs instruction, that's all. I'll see to it." Kaiser turned his full attention to Daisuke. "You were hit head-on by a fireball that _should have_ killed a human being. You didn't die."

Daisuke started to see what was surprising about that. But he shrugged. "I'm stubborn, that's all."

"Stubbornness isn't going to stop fire from melting your bones. Especially not _my_ fire." Anbumon stared at him and Daisuke definitely wished he wouldn't. "You are not human. Not even in the slightest. You may be human in outlook, for now, and have been raised by humans, but there was never a human born who could take my flames head-on and live to tell the tale."

"Could you be a little more dramatic?" Daisuke asked. "There's not enough cheese around here."

Kaiser shook his head. "You are not human. I've run every test I could on you since Anbumon brought you here. You are a Digimon. A very rare type. There's almost no information on you at all."

Daisuke kept on shaking his own head. He wasn't going to listen to this at all. It meant nothing; it couldn't mean anything. But Kaiser kept on talking.

"The facts we have learned are these: you are a Virus-type, you are full-blooded Digimon, and you are a Perfect level. It's not impossible you are capable of evolution, but we are not going to test that just yet."

Daisuke thought Anbumon muttered something to the effect of _knowing his limitations_ , but he didn't pay much attention to that. He focused on what Kaiser said, then shook his head until he thought it might fall off.

"No." He didn't even know what he was saying 'no' to in particular, just _all_ of it.

And the Kaiser's smile didn't falter at all. "I thought you'd be a little difficult to persuade. So I decided on a demonstration."

Chill hands of fear clutched all around Daisuke's spine. "I don't need a demonstration."

"But you're going to get one anyway." Kaiser held up something that Daisuke reluctantly recognized: an Evil Spiral. "These don't work on humans. Unfortunately. I am considering how to rework the algorithms so that _something_ will, but that's for another time." He twirled it between his fingers lazily. "What you need to understand right now is that if you're not a Digimon, then this won't accomplish anything at all. But if you are one, then you'll do anything that I tell you to do."

Daisuke's throat dried up. He wanted to believe that the Kaiser was lying. If he lied and the Spiral worked, then he wasn't a Digimon. But if he told the truth and it did work, then he _was_ one. He still didn't see how that could be. His family had _baby pictures_ of him, for heaven's sake!

 _What if he's telling the truth and it doesn't work?_ Could that be an option? Didn't it have to be?

Daisuke honestly didn't know. But he didn't have time to work out all the variations, not when the Kaiser flipped the Spiral toward him and he couldn't do anything at all to stop it.

It clamped around his upper right arm. For a moment, everything froze. Then, the restraints on him slipped off. Kaiser spoke.

"Stand up."

Daisuke wanted to stay right where he was, just to be thoroughly annoying. Instead, his body bent, and his legs moved off the side of the table, and he stood up.

It was like watching himself from the outside, without any ability to change or decide what he did, only he was watching from the inside. And had no ability to change or decide what he did.

He tried to so much as flex his fingers, and he couldn't. His heartbeat picked up a little, but that was all.

Kaiser's gloved hand touched his cheek, then tilted Daisuke's head so they stared at one another. He'd never seen Kaiser look this absolutely thrilled.

"On your knees," his enemy – his master – enemy – commanded, and Daisuke slid down without a word, trembling within, humble and obedient without.

"I thought Digimon under your Spiral's control had red eyes," Anbumon said. Daisuke couldn't bring himself to pay as much attention to him as he did to Kaiser, but he heard the words regardless.

"They normally do. Hm. I'll have to test this." Kaiser sounded extremely interested in this. He kept his hands on Daisuke's chin. "You'll do anything that I order you to do, won't you?"

Daisuke wanted to shout and scream and insist he would do no such thing. But a voice sounded and he thought it was his, only oddly… different.

"Yes, master."

 _ **No!**_

But all the 'no' that he screamed mentally didn't do anything to affect the use of his body. The part of him that was _him_ could see and hear everything, but do absolutely nothing at all.

Anbumon leaned in closer, staring at him. "What is your _true name_?"

Daisuke wanted to say 'Motomiya Daisuke'. But another word formed on his lips, yet again without his mind's permission or even knowledge.

"Akigaramon."

Anbumon repeated it to him, then turned to the Kaiser. "It means 'empty shell', more or less. _Interesting_."

"If he's empty, then I'll fill him up with everything I've ever wanted from him," the Kaiser declared, gesturing Daisuke closer.

A tiny whimper sounded from a dark corner, one Daisuke hadn't noticed before in the overwhelming rush of pretty much everything going on. But now he strained his attention that way and saw a small cage with… V-mon!

He tried to do something more, only to find all over again that he couldn't do anything without the Kaiser telling him to do it. And this new outer shell of himself paid no more mind to V-mon than if he hadn't been there in the first place.

Daisuke couldn't move any part of himself and all that he could see or hear depended on what was in his body's general view. He couldn't see behind himself, nor very well out of the corners of his eyes. He could hear just about anything going on, which wasn't much besides the Kaiser and Anbumon talking about things that he didn't understand. He could, however, see something that thrilled him down to the core.

Taichi was starting to wake up.

* * *

 _I'd like that attack a lot better if I actually got a headache or something from it._

It would keep the fact Anbumon was a complete bastard at the forefront of his mind, something he had problems with, especially when Anbumon wasn't actively causing chaos and destruction. He looked too much like Yamato, that was the problem.

If the Endless Slumber attack gave him a headache, it would mean that it had a bad side effect, and it would be something to look out for. As it was, all of his instincts just said 'I am taking a nap now' and that was all there was to it.

He dragged his eyes open, trying to put together what was going on around him. He could hear Anbumon talking to someone, but it didn't seem as if it made sense to him, so he just chalked it up to the fact Anbumon was there. And so was someone else.

Which did lead to the question of where they were and who would be there that Anbumon would talk to in such a relatively calm and ordered way.

And from there he made a very logical leap that he suspected Koushirou would be proud of: the Kaiser. He was involved in this somehow anyway.

And when Taichi opened his eyes all the way and became aware that Anbumon's fingers were in his hair and that Daisuke knelt in front of the Digimon Kaiser, eyes dulled and blank, it was all he could do not to jump to his feet and start punching things.

And by things he meant 'people' and by people, he wanted to start with Anbumon and the Kaiser.

But even with his eyes open and more awareness filtering in, he couldn't get his arms and feet to move. The clink of chains told him why.

 _Yeah, one day I'm going to find out way more about Anbumon's kinks than I ever wanted to, and I bet it's not that far off._

The clinks caught Anbumon's attention, though, and he looked down to meet Taichi's eyes.

"Welcome back to the land of the conscious," Anbumon said, greeting Taichi with a kiss. "Now, say hello to our gracious host and his new consort-to-be."

Taichi blinked a few times. He wasn't at his best after Endless Slumber and wouldn't be for a while. But had he actually heard that correctly?

Anbumon smiled at Taichi's confusion. "Oh, yes. The one you called 'Motomiya Daisuke' is a purebred Digimon Virus of the Perfect level. And now he belongs to the Kaiser."

"And I don't give back what's mine," Kaiser replied smugly, playing a little with Daisuke's hair. Daisuke didn't move and Taichi had no idea of what bothered him the most, why he wasn't wearing anything but his pants and shoes or why he had that blank mindless look in his eyes or why he didn't at least flinch at the Kaiser's touch.

"Both of you need serious help," Taichi managed to say. Anbumon tilted his head upward with one finger.

"Probably. But I would say that _you_ need help more if you expect to get out of here. But I also don't think you're going to get it."

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** You have no idea of how much I enjoyed writing this chapter. But I always enjoy tormenting Daisuke, and Kaiser wouldn't just let him go. Among other reasons.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Word Count:** 2,295|| **Story Word Count:** 15,061|| **Chapter Count:** 7/30  
 **Challenges:** February Secret Multichap Advent Exchange, prompt #24, make

* * *

Miyako set her hands on her hips and delivered a very angry glare towards Sora, Koushirou, Jou, and Hikari. The longer they went on without filling in the answers, the angrier she got.

Miyako kind of liked being angry, all things considered, but given what was going on, she didn't want to be _this_ angry, and she didn't want to be angry because her friends – people she trusted – people she knew trusted her or were supposed to – weren't telling her what she needed to know.

"Start. Talking."

The three older ones looked at each other. Hikari just sighed, probably as tired as Miyako herself was, especially after that weird attack. She was awake, and still kind of dripping in cold water, but Miyako caught her yawning every now and then.

"Four of us. Four of us are part Digimon. Not me, not big brother, not Mimi. But..." She wave a hand toward the other three who sat there. "And given what we saw with Daisuke, I guess he might be too."

"He is," Koushirou said, pulling out his ever present laptop and turning it on. "I've been doing the scans almost since the gate opened up again, just to see. I reasoned if four of us carried Digimon blood, it would be plausible that with three new Chosen – possibly four if we count the Kaiser himself -"

Miyako snorted at that. "Chosen Children protect the Digital World. They don't put it in danger." She'd only been one for a couple of months, but she still knew _that_.

Koushirou coughed. "Well. At any rate, he has a partner and is allowed access to the Digital World so there is still a chance that he has the blood. I haven't been able to scan him, though. He's stayed too far out of my range. But the three – four of you -" Koushirou looked at them. "I do know about you. I just haven't yet had enough information to let you know. I thought it better, given our own experiences, to have full information when I told you."

"When you don't know what you are, only that your life just keeps turning upside down in all the ways that you never thought it would..." Sora clenched her fingers together. "Knowing is better. It's a _lot_ better. And a lot less terrifying."

"Terrifying?" Iori tendered them both a very interested look. "Why is it terrifying at all? I presume that you had no idea it was possible in the beginning, and that would be disturbing, of course."

Jou tapped a quiet finger on Hikari's desk. "We were alone in the Digital World, except for our partners. Almost every other Digimon we met wanted to kill us. Sometimes they had reasons for it. Sometimes they just wanted something to eat. We didn't know how we got there and most of the time we didn't know why we were there. Even when we knew why, it didn't help us find food or a safe place to sleep most of the time."

"And then some of us began to show signs of something else changing." Koushirou looked at Sora, who nodded quietly and began to speak.

* * *

By the count of the sunrises and sunsets, they'd been in the Digital World for several days. Jou wanted to keep an accurate track, of course, but he didn't have anything to mark the days down on, and they didn't stay in one place long enough to mark anything there.

What made matters more annoying was that every now and then, some Digimon with one of those strange Gears would turn up and attack them, usually for no reason at all that they could tell. Just the Gear itself made it happen.

So far, with their strange new friends the Digimon, they'd managed to stay alive. The longer they stayed there, the more Jou worried that they wouldn't for much longer, and Sora hated that he might be right.

She woke up that morning to Yamato on watch by the fire, the rest of the group still sound asleep, and the strange sensation that someone had been calling her. They didn't use a name she knew, but it was one that she'd responded to anyway.;

 _Just a dream,_ she told herself as she got up, greeted Yamato, and headed to the nearby stream to splash some cold water on her face.

Piyomon went with her, of course. Their partners always went with them, and while Sora found it strange at first, she wondered at times what they would do without them.

A very deep-rooted gut instinct told her that she really did not want to know.

The rest of the day started out like any other day. They scavenged fruit from the trees and fish from the stream to have breakfast, packed enough so they'd be able to have lunch if they didn't find a place to rest then, and then got started walking to whatever strange adventure would turn up next.

The path today led them into a thick forest, the trees pressing so tightly together that seeing more than a short distance ahead was the next thing to impossible.

"I don't like this place!" Mimi declared, shoving one trailing vine out of her way as she wormed around an extended tree branch. "Why are we even here?"

"Because this is where the trail led us! And it's the only trail that we know about!" Taichi declared. "Come on, it can't be that bad. It'll end sooner or later, right?"

Yamato just rolled his eyes and Sora was somewhat inclined to agree with him. She said nothing, though. She had something else on her mind, something she didn't want to tell them about just yet.

As she looked around, though, she saw Piyomon looking at her, blue eyes worried. She smiled quickly, not wanting to upset her partner.

"Something is wrong, isn't it, Sora?" Piyomon murmured as they fell to the back of the group.

Sora wanted to ask how she knew that. But she still didn't want to upset her.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Because I can tell. Did you have a bad dream or something?"

That was so close to what had happened that Sora stopped for a moment, the words on her lips to ask how Piyomon knew _that_.

What stopped her this time wasn't not wanting to upset Piyomon. What stopped her was a yell from further up the group and she looked ahead to see Takeru hoisted in the air, something thick and green around his waist that he kept batting at. Patamon hovered closer, popping the occasional Air Shot, but even when he hit, nothing happened.

"Is it a Digimon?" Yamato shouted, jumping as high as he could, reaching for his brother with desperate fingers. "What is it?"

"I don't know!" Koushirou moved around faster than Sora remembered seeing him move, his laptop held high, before he fell forward, and Sora could see more of those green things wrapping around him.

They were everywhere, curling around humans and Digimon alike, and the moment one touched someone, there didn't seem to be a way to get out of it. In a matter of seconds, only Sora and Piyomon remained free, the others hanging like helpless caught fish.

"Agumon! Evolve!" Taichi shouted. Agumon snapped at the vines holding him, trying harder to get loose.

"I can't, Taichi! This thing is sucking up all my energy!"

Piyomon tugged at Sora's hand. "We have to help them!"

"Of course, but how? Is there enough room for you to evolve here?" Sora didn't think so and Piyomon confirmed that a breath later. They stood in what was more or less a corridor of trees, roofed over by interlacing branches, and those vines or tentacles or whatever looped down from above, moving closer to where the two of them stood. There wasn't much room to do anything now.

The longer they stood there, the angrier Sora got about all of this. It was like some horrible kind of trap and if Piyomon couldn't evolve, it was one they'd never get out of.

Did whoever sent those Gears make this? Was this their way of stopping the kids from destroying the Gears?

Her fingers flexed and she darted forward to knock her partner out of the way as one of the vines hung down behind Piyomon, reaching for her.

She just barely escaped being caught herself, slamming hard against the ground, and flipped over to make certain that she wasn't being snuck up on.

She was. There were four more of those things winding towards her and a sudden shriek told her that they had Piyomon now. She scrambled away as fast as she could make her feet move, just in time to catch sight of her pink partner wrapped up in one of those things.

"What are you?" She shouted, backing up against what she hoped would be a safe place against a tree trunk. "Why are you doing this?

There wasn't an answer, at least not in words. But something moved deeper along the trail, and she had no idea of what this _was_ , but high above, where more of those vines lurked, she could see a sudden glimpse of something dark and round. Only one thing she knew of in this world looked like that.

And there wasn't anything that she could do to stop it, not with Piyomon tied up like that.

A thousand thoughts blew through her mind. Everyone else was caught. If anyone did anything about all of this, she was the only one who could. She doubted there would be any friendly Digimon who would turn up to help in this darkest hour. It was all on her.

She had to keep moving to keep away from the intruding vines, and it dawned on her a few seconds later that everyone else had fallen far too quiet.

Looking towards where she knew Mimi had been caught, her breath froze in her throat. The younger girl remained in the grip of the vines, but her eyes were closed and she took shallow breaths. The others didn't look much better, Taichi and Takeru being almost as drained as Mimi looked. Of them all, Yamato would _probably_ be the one most awake, but even he couldn't move.

Taking the time to find out what was wrong cost her. Some might say it cost her everything. Or it gave her everything.

They thought about it for years and in the end, most of them agreed that it was kind of worth it. They hadn't really had any choices, anyway.

The vine fell on her from above and behind, sliding around her, pinning one of her arms to her body. She got the other one out just in time, and battered at it with all of her strength.

"Stop it! Let me go! Let us go!"

She had to do something. She just had no idea of what.

Whatever drained the others didn't seem to work on her, or maybe it was taking its time. What it did do was take her farther up, where she couldn't see them all, and much closer to that Gear.

Behind it something lurked, something she couldn't get a good look at. Even without seeing it, she could tell that it radiated evil on a scale she'd never known could exist before. A deep, rich voice spoke a single word, the word she'd heard in her dreams.

"Akuenmon."

The name struck to parts of her that Sora hadn't even known existed and a cry of rage and unreason leaped forth from her lips. Her free hand landed on one of the vines, the one that led directly to where the Gear rested, and one single thought burned clear and bright in her mind.

 _ **Leave us alone!**_

The Gear shimmered an odd shade of something; the light up here wasn't good enough for her to tell what. Then, against all reason that she knew, it slipped out of the vine, rose up, and vanished as if called by its owner.

The image of evil stood there, and Sora, what part of her still remained Sora instead of that blast of anger and rage and command, thought it seemed kind of _amused_.

"We shall meet again, daughter. But until then…welcome home."

And then it was gone, and she could hear the others calling her from down below, and the vines slid away…

And nothing was ever the same again.

* * *

Sora drew in an unsteady breath. Thinking about that moment, when she'd first come face to face with him, still made her shake even after all this time.

"It took a while after that still to figure out what happened. But that was how it all got started. I found out I could command those Gears, and it didn't make _anything_ easier, because I didn't know how or why." She offered up a smile to Miyako and Iori. "So, knowing what you might be from the beginning works out a lot better. Better than what we had."

Miyako swallowed before she essayed a question of her own. "So… are we?"

Koushirou tapped his laptop before he turned look at Iori. "You, Iori-kun, aren't. We've already established Daisuke is. Anbumon's fire is too much for a human to stand, so if he survived it, then he's got _something_ of the blood in him."

Miyako didn't move. Koushirou kept on talking. "Miyako-san: you are the first half-human, half-Vaccine Digimon that I've ever encountered. And you're an Ultimate Holy Beast type. You are exactly what would be able to take down Anbumon."

Miyako blinked once, twice, three times. Then slumped down backwards, limp as could be.

Sora thought she took it pretty well.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Their first adventure was kinda... different from canon. And one day I will write it in glorious detail.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Word Count:** 2,078|| **Story Word Count:** 17,139|| **Chapter Count:** 8/30  
 **Challenges:** February Secret Multichap Advent Exchange, prompt #21, hands  
 **Notes:** This chapter contains vaguely described non-consensual touching with mild indications as to something else. I am very vague on what that something else is, so read at your own risk.

* * *

 _This is not Yamato. This is Anbumon. This is not Yamato._

Taichi repeated that to himself. He would not let the fact slip away from him. In some ways it was easy to tell the difference between the two. Anbumon's words were sharper, more edged, and he clearly viewed himself as far more dominant between the two of them.

Taichi couldn't deny that Anbumon _was_ , mostly because he himself didn't want to kiss Anbumon or feel his arms around him or any of those things he'd much rather experience with Yamato, should Yamato be willing.

He kind of thought Yamato would be, but they hadn't gotten around to asking each other any of that, and now Anbumon made it even more difficult, on multiple levels.

But it was also difficult to cling to that fact when Anbumon had him pinned up against a sleek metallic wall, one hand firmly clenched in Taichi's hair, and his lips pressed hard against Taichi's. His other hand rested on Taichi's chest, sliding up and down and a bit to the sides, and Taichi thanked his shirt and jacket, did not want to know what it might feel like if Anbumon got rid of those…

If it had been Yamato there, Taichi wouldn't have had any problems punching his lights out. They'd fought more than once, though for far different reasons. Taichi knew quite well that if Yamato tried to kiss him and he'd turned the blond down, then Yamato wouldn't keep trying.

Anbumon seemed to think Taichi's efforts at resisting were amusing, and the longer they kissed, the more Taichi started to forget why he wanted to resist in the first place.

He wanted to tell himself this had to have something to do with Anbumon. Some sort of side effect or something. He didn't want this kind of a relationship with _Yamato_ , so why with Anbumon?

Anbumon moved in closer, the heat of his body scorching so close to Taichi. "I think we can have more fun in my quarters," he murmured. They'd been on the way there before Anbumon decided to take a break for an impromptu make-out session.

Part of Taichi wondered if this continual need to touch him wasn't so much Anbumon wanting to make out with him – though there was plenty of that – as it was Anbumon just wanting to _feel_ something.

 _"I couldn't feel anything. It was like my hands would go through anything I tried to touch. It wasn't hot or cold, it wasn't anything. And I hated it." Yamato shook his head, staring down into his lap. "And I was only like that for a couple of months."_

 _His hands reached out, one to clutch at the Digivice by his side, the other to grip onto his shirt. "And it's still like I can't stop touching things either. Like I want to tell myself that they're real." He swallowed. "That I'm real."_

Taichi would never forget that conversation with Yamato, only a few months after they'd returned home from the Digital World after defeating Apocalymon. He'd found his friend in a clearing in the park, just sitting there under a tree and clutching at bits of grass and twigs, rubbing his back against the tree trunk.

A couple of months of Anbumon being the one in charge of the body. Not a different spirit, but a different _viewpoint_ , one so different it was the next thing to a different person. According to Koushirou, the Viral types were the most likely to develop this kind of thing, given how their viewpoint was so different from their human side. A Data or a Vaccine usually tended to be somewhat closer to the human point of view.

Anbumon's hands closed firmly around the top of Taichi's shirt and he found himself pulled along very unceremoniously. Anbumon could be tender when it suited his purposes, but when it didn't, Taichi didn't have _any_ problems keeping the differences between the two of them absolutely clear.

* * *

Anbumon wanted to touch things. He wanted to touch everything, to press it to himself and know that it was real and that he was real, and that he wouldn't _ever_ lose that again.

At the top of the list of what he wanted to touch was Taichi, mostly because he enjoyed touching Taichi, and the idea of getting where his far too sweet and kind other half hadn't – but wanted to – thrilled him right down to his core.

He tossed Taichi into the bedroom and strolled in after, locking the door. He presumed Kaiser could get in there if he wanted to, but Kaiser was currently busy doing something or other with Akigaramon. That would keep him out of the way for hours to come.

"Taichi-san!" Takeru shouted, rising to his feet as the two of them entered. Musyamon stood behind him, silent and observing.

"Takeru?" Taichi stumbled to his feet, head snapping this way and that before coming back to look at Takeru. "Are you all right? Where's Patamon?"

"I don't think all right is the right thing to say," Takeru said. Anbumon had released him from his chains, since he couldn't even get out of these quarters without Anbumon opening the door for him. "And...Patamon..." He shuddered and Anbumon decided to be kind.

For some values of kind.

"Can't you tell?" He gestured to Musyamon. "That's him right there."

Taichi's jaw dropped. He shook his head, but far more in disbelief than denial. "That's not… how..."

"The Spiral, of course. I understand they can trigger dark evolutions and this looks to be Patamon's." Anbumon settled himself down on his comfortable bed and gestured for Taichi to join him. "I suppose it could be worse. What if he'd evolved to _Vamdemon_?"

Takeru turned absolutely white at that. Anbumon smiled. It was so delicious to terrify people with just a few words. Then he frowned at Taichi.

"Get over here." He turned to Takeru and Musyamon. "Go to your room. I'll call you if I need you for anything." Which he wouldn't. All he needed right now was Taichi.

When Taichi didn't move fast enough, his attention still absorbed by Musyamon and Takeru, Anbumon reached out and grabbed him once again, pulling him down onto the bed.

"Do I _honestly_ have to remind you of who is in charge around here?"

He didn't give Taichi time for an answer, instead dragging him closer and sealing their lips together, drinking in every ounce of _Taichi_ that he could. He didn't even pay attention to if Takeru left the room or not, though with the faint closing of a door, he thought they had.

Taichi squirmed underneath him, his heart pounding faster, and Anbumon grinned, sliding his hand underneath Taichi's shirt from the bottom, reaching up about halfway before he stopped and twisted his hand so it was palm upward.

"Stay still," he murmured. "I don't want to hurt you." In truth, he'd never done this before, and he wanted to make certain there wasn't any blood.

Well, maybe not _much_ blood.

It took concentration to create the small dagger, but once he had it there, he shifted his position so he could watch what he was doing, and slowly cut Taichi's shirt and jacket off of him from underneath.

Taichi didn't move a muscle, and Anbumon suspected he was torn between fascination and fear. As well he should be.

He could've had Taichi remove the clothes in a standard fashion or done so himself, but that wasn't nearly as much _fun_ as this.

Once all Taichi had on were his pants, Anbumon leaned over and pressed a kiss at the very top of the brunet's chest, then began to delicately tease his way downward. Halfway he stopped and looked up to meet Taichi's lust-blown eyes.

"I know you don't want this. Don't even try to pretend that you do. I know you want _him_." Anbumon's lip curled at the thought. "But he's not going to have you, not before I do, anyway." And not at all if Anbumon had anything to say about it. But he could explain that to Taichi later. "But if you play nicely, I won't hurt anyone else."

Threatening Taichi himself wouldn't do anything. But to threaten those he cared about? Oh, _that_ would keep him in line very easily.

He stroked along Taichi's chest, pleased to see how he'd kept himself in good shape. "Now, are you ready?"

He didn't wait for an answer but began to kiss again, his hands slowly working on Taichi's pants as he did. He'd waited for this for a very long time.

* * *

Another difference between Yamato and Anbumon: Yamato knew how to keep his hands to himself. Anbumon thought his hands belonged anywhere he wanted them to and asking permission was for other people.

Taichi's head fell back against the wall, a low groan of pleasure sliding out between his lips at Anbumon's touch. He knew what this was, but it didn't _feel_ like what he'd always been told being assaulted would be like. They'd all heard stories about dark alleyways and mysterious strangers being the cause.

No one told him about attractive suites of rooms and someone wearing the face of your best friend and crush. Sure, there'd been mentions of it happening at the hands of people you knew, but regardless…

Then all coherent thought ceased as Anbumon's fingers got _really_ busy, and Taichi dragged Yamato's face, his real face, kind and handsome and not at all this monster lurking behind it, into his mind, and let himself think only of that.

* * *

 _Is it sound-proof?_ Takeru wondered as he settled down on the small cot that he had to sleep on. There wasn't much room in here, not with both him and Musyamon, but he didn't need to do much of anything at the moment, other than be horrified at what was going on in the other room.

A passionate moan leaked from the other side and Takeru closed his eyes. No. It wasn't sound-proofed.

 _I'm going to kill Anbumon._ He knew he wouldn't; that would kill Yamato as well, and he'd never do that. But he wanted to at least punch the guy in the face. Yamato could get over some bruises or a black eye.

Musyamon stood silent in the corner, never taking his eyes off of Takeru. That wasn't a surprise. One of the Kaiser's first orders had been to always stand guard over him. Takeru wished he wasn't so _aware_ that this was his partner underneath the skin of forced dark evolution. If he didn't know, maybe then it wouldn't hurt so much.

Well, at least he knew how to fix this easier than he could fix anything else. Getting rid of the Spiral would do that in a heartbeat.

The hard part would be getting rid of the Spiral itself, since he couldn't do it on his own. _Maybe_ his D-3 could help: if he still had it. That was one of the first things Kaiser took off of him when he was caught. They'd never tried using it against one of the Kaiser's toys, though. Now seemed a really good time to try it out: if he'd had it.

Without that, all he could do was either wait until he found a way to get out of there to the others and let them do it, or they got in here and did it. He sort of preferred getting out on his own. Sitting around and waiting meant he'd have to see Patamon like this for who knew how long and that was _not_ what he had in mind.;

 _All right. So what do I need to do? How can I get out of here?_

Simple as the question was, he didn't have any concrete answers. Getting out of the Kaiser's fortress wasn't a thing that could just be done. Getting out of these _rooms_ wasn't something that could just be done, not when the door wouldn't open up for him.

He'd have to take the first chance he had, and hope that Anbumon would want him to do something outside of the room sooner or later. Even if it just involved getting them something to drink after… whatever it was they were doing out there.

The walls weren't sound-proofed at all. Takeru grabbed the one pillow on the cot and wrapped it around his head. This was going to be a _long_ evening.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** I kinda feel like I shoudl write something fluffy and sweet with Yamato and Taichi now...


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Word Count:** 2,169|| **Story Word Count:** 19,308|| **Chapter Count:** 9/30  
 **Challenges:** February Secret Multichap Advent Exchange, prompt #1, base

* * *

Kaiser couldn't stop staring at Daisuke. Nor did he especially want to. Why should he not admire the fruits of his labor, the Spiral that tamed what was clearly a powerful Digimon – even if he looked like, even _was_ Motomiya Daisuke? If anything, that made this a double coup. Not only was one of the strongest Digimon he'd ever encountered his personal slave, to do with as he pleased, but it was the _former_ leader of those who dared to think they could fight him.

 _I can't wait to find out what he can do. I can't wait to unleash it on those idiots._ If he'd been anyone else, he might well have squealed in anticipation. But he held himself erect and proud. He was the Kaiser, after all. He had an image to maintain.

He circled Daisuke, paying only minimal attention as Anbumon and Taichi left the room – or as Anbumon left the room and pulled a protesting Taichi along with him. He'd let his new second in command do as he pleased. He still didn't entirely trust Anbumon's loyalty to him, but keeping him distracted with Taichi would help matters along.

And now he had a plaything of his own to work with. Many thoughts of what he could do that weren't just crush his enemies tempted and teased in the back of his mind. He didn't have to rush into anything. He could take his time.

Licking his lips, he turned his attention to the Spiral and spoke. "Scale down to level one intensity."

The distant look in Daisuke's eyes faded away, replaced by sharp anger. Kaiser thought that suited him more and made a mental note to work on Daisuke so he'd remain angry and focused, but learn to obey his new master. _That_ would take time, of course. But it would be worth it, as worth it as the Spiral itself had been.

"Don't even bother with the shouting about letting you, Takaishi, Yagami, or any of your partners go. Prince Anbumon is here because he chooses to be, so don't bother with that, either." Kaiser crisply denoted before Daisuke could get a word out. "I can turn the intensity of the Spiral's control back up with a word, so don't think because I allow you to move around and speak freely that you can attack me."

That also just wouldn't be allowed in the first place. He'd worked hard to make certain the Spiral had a level of control at all times, which meant that Daisuke's body wouldn't be _able_ to attack him. Any time he made a move in that direction, he would be stopped. The Kaiser allowed no violence to his person.

Of course, Daisuke didn't know that, and Kaiser wasn't at all surprised to see him start to lunge anyway.

Only start. He took one step and then froze, eyes wide and round with shock. Kaiser smiled.

"Did you really think it would be otherwise, Motomiya Daisuke? You belong to me now. I decide what you can and can't do, and what you will or won't do. Isn't that nice?"

"I think you've lost it! If you ever had it to begin with!" Daisuke snapped.

Kaiser rested one hand for a moment against Daisuke's cheek, smiling at him. Then he roughly backhanded him, knocking him to the floor.

"Don't make me take it up to the second level, Daisuke. That's where you can only respond when I ask you questions and only in a way that I've previously approved of. I'm granting you the freedom to choose your answers to me. I suggest that you choose _wisely_."

He noticed with a hint of satisfaction that the red mark he left on Daisuke's cheek with that hit faded quickly. He could guess at least one of Daisuke's Digimon abilities then: quick healing. That could come in very useful in the future.

"Follow me. And pick that up." He indicated the cage V-mon was in as he turned, then turned back. "Keep the cage locked and V-mon inside of it." He didn't order Daisuke not to think about unlocking it and releasing his partner. He wasn't going to take the chance that Daisuke would just do it and not think about it.

"What are you going to do with us?" Daisuke asked, even as he picked up the cage and smiled a reassuring smile at V-mon.

"First and foremost, keep you. Second, train you to obey me the way you should, even without the Spiral." He smiled at Daisuke. "I'm going to quite enjoy that. The end goal will be to remove the Spiral and you eagerly do as you are told. And I _always_ reach my goals, Motomiya Daisuke. Do not ever forget that."

He could hear Daisuke's teeth grinding. He wasn't done yet, though. "I'm also going to find out everything that you're capable of as a Digimon and train you to use it to the fullest extent. You'll take out the other Chosen and sit at my feet once I have established my permanent rule over this world."

From the corner of his eye, he could see Daisuke shaking his head, anger in every line of him. Kaiser turned abruptly to stare into his eyes.

"Given that I now control everything that you do, Motomiya Daisuke, and can have you absolutely obedient to my commands with a word, how do you think that you can stop me?"

"My friends will!" Daisuke shouted. "You can't stop _them_!

"Really?" Kaiser smirked, enjoying the sudden spark of worry in Daisuke's eyes. Time to fan that into a raging fire. "But you can. Because as much as they would try to free you from my Spiral, they won't see you again until you obey me because you _want_ to. What will they free you from then?"

He didn't allow for an answer, but kept on walking, letting all that he'd said sink deep into Daisuke's mind to take root.

* * *

Daisuke tried his best to memorize the various twisting passages in Kaiser's base as they walked along. It wasn't easy; he didn't have the best memory for this kind of thing. But he tried anyway. He'd need to know them when he got out of there.

 _I'm going to get out of here. Kaiser can say what he wants. But I'm going to escape._

He'd never been brought to Kaiser's base before. Kaiser didn't exactly invite people 'home' with him. The two times that he'd been captured before – well, one, he wasn't certain if that whole mess with Deltamon counted as a _capture_ \- he'd stayed outside the whole time.

At least he thought he had. There was a lot of time there that he couldn't fully account for. He'd asked V-mon about it, but his partner didn't have any more information than he did. Right now he _really_ didn't want to ask Kaiser about it, either.

Kaiser might actually tell him.

They finally arrived at a set of double doors that opened as soon as Kaiser stepped up to them. On the other side there was a wide room with what looked like training dummies of some kind. Daisuke could also see targets, like for archery, and a row of caged Digimon whose red eyes betrayed the Rings and Spirals that he couldn't see from this distance.

"Now, this is what is going to happen," Kaiser said, turning toward Daisuke and holding his hand out for the cage. Daisuke's muscles obeyed him without Daisuke himself having a say in it, handing it over. "This is your prize. If you succeed in what I want you to do, then you'll be allowed to spend one hour with V-mon in a place of my choosing."

"And if I don't?" Daisuke had to ask. At least he was allowed to ask.

Kaiser's smile was not a sight of pleasure. It never had been.

"Then you won't see him again until after you _have_ succeeded in what I want of you. It's really not that hard."

Daisuke had his own doubts about that but if he got to talk to V-mon, then he'd do whatever Kaiser wanted. He wouldn't like it, but he'd do it. So he nodded, harsh and abrupt and angry.

"Good boy," Kaiser praised. A low hum of pleasure spread out through Daisuke from the Spiral on his arm. He tried to fight it off, but nothing he did could affect the Spiral in any way, let alone how he felt about how good it felt. "You'll have three tasks to accomplish today. The more you learn and the better you get, the more tasks you'll have and the harder they'll become. Do you understand that?"

Daisuke nodded again, tense and tight already.

"What we need to do first is find out what you're capable of. From my research into Digimon, their abilities tend to reveal themselves when they're in physical danger of some kind. This is different when it comes to partnered Digimon, of course. They tend to manifest new abilities or evolutions when their partner is in danger. Your case may well be different." He regarded Daisuke carefully and never in his life had Daisuke felt so much like a bug under a microscope. "All previous information was that a Digimon could only be partnered to a human. You are clearly different. How this applies to your bond to V-mon remains to be seen."

"You watch a lot of those mad science movies, don't you?" Daisuke heard the words slip out before he could stop them and froze up. He fully expected another hit from the Kaiser; that seemed his best way to communicate. But now his captor only smiled one of those terrifying smiles at him.

"If you succeed at your tasks today, you'll have half an hour with V-mon," was all that he said before he gestured toward the room. "Your first task is just to get from one side of the room to the other and back again while still being on your feet. Start _now_."

Daisuke expected the Spiral to lurch him into action, so didn't move for almost a minute. Kaiser's eyes darkened and he started to raise one hand. Daisuke leaped forward, realizing belatedly that he'd been expected to obey just because Kaiser gave the order.

He put every ounce of anger in his mind out of that for right now. He wouldn't have if Kaiser hadn't already cut his 'visit time' in half. But he didn't want to take any chances that Kaiser would gut it altogether.

So he ran. He ran for the far side of the room and he jumped when the floor began to open up underneath him, scrambling to land on the other side and start running again.

Long, thick columns of steel extended down from the ceiling, covered in sharp spikes, swinging back and forth. Daisuke guessed he needed to get through those in one piece and going around wasn't an option.

They didn't brush the ground, though, and there was just enough room to wiggle under there. He threw himself down and crawled forward, wincing as one of them brushed against his back. They were going up and down, he noticed, and that made this trip just a little harder. Still, he kept on going. Kaiser wouldn't have any reasons to take more of his time away.

 _He'll probably do it without a reason if he thinks he can._

Daisuke scrambled out from underneath the spiked lengths and looked for the next part. He hated to admit it, but this was kind of fun. He'd never had much interest in the obstacle course the school offered but those were _boring_.

This carried a hint of damage, even if damage didn't seem to be something that could really bother him that much. Everything they'd said about Anbumon's fire and how it should've crisped him like a Christmas fried chicken hung in the back of his mind. The way the pain from Kaiser's backhand just vanished, far faster than he would've thought it would, remained fresh in his mind.

He hadn't had time to get used to it yet. The thought of being an actual Digimon himself would _need_ to get used to. But right now all he could focus on was doing what Kaiser wanted, to get some time with V-mon.

 _Wonder if I could get some with Taichi-san and Takeru if I really worked hard._

Together they could figure a way out of this. They'd have to find a way to contact the others, too. Maybe one of them still had his D-Terminal or they could find something that would allow them to send e-mail.

With all of that firmly in mind, he charged toward a spiked pit with an opening and closing cover, ready to take on whatever Kaiser shoved at him.

* * *

Kaiser smiled as Daisuke plunged his way through the obstacles. This was just the beginning and Daisuke was already taking to his training so very well.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** I could say so much right now but it would all be spoilers and I like to unfold things gently.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Word Count** : 2,130|| **Story Word Count** : 21,438|| **Chapter Count** : 10/30  
 **Challenges** : February Secret Multichap Advent Exchange, prompt #25, family

* * *

Miyako's tea cup shook in her hands, but she didn't drop it. She considered herself good for that. She took a careful sip, doing all that she could to savor the taste, and tried to bring her mind around to what she'd been told.

"I don't get how, though. I've seen _baby pictures_ of me. My mom and dad don't even know about the Digital World." She wanted answers and the sooner the better.

Sora toyed with her own cup of tea. "You can't be sure about that. I didn't think my mother did until I brought it up."

"What we need to do at the moment is figure out where the Kaiser's fortress is. That's the most likely place for all of them to be: Takeru, Yamato, and Taichi," Koushirou said. "Your D-3s should be able to track them if we're close enough."

"But the problem there is _getting_ close enough," Iori pointed out. "And since we almost never detect the Kaiser, he has some kind of blocking mechanism."

"You're right." Koushirou's eyebrows knitted together in thought. "Anbumon will come out after us. I suspect the Kaiser will too. He has a driving need to see all Digimon as his slaves." His lip curled at that. "He won't want to miss _us_. And Anbumon will tell him everything he wants to know about us, I'm sure."

Hikari toyed with her camera, more for wanting to give her hands something to do than anything else. "I think we should get Gabumon and Agumon under some kind of protection. Anbumon will want him, too, and he'd probably want Agumon to help with Taichi."

Miyako couldn't remember having seen Hikari so sad. It sort of wasn't surprising, not with her brother having been abducted more or less by his best friend. But she didn't like it, nevertheless. If what she was, if this power she barely even understood could help fix that, then she'd do it, without hesitation.

"Good idea," Sora agreed. "I'll see if I can get in touch with Piyomon and have her pass the word to them."

"It might be a good idea to have them all gather in some safe place," Jou suggested, leaning forward in his chair, hunched over. "Do we have any safe places?"

Quick looks flew between all of the Chosen, and Koushirou's fingers flew over his laptop keys once again.

"Theoretically, a safe place would be anywhere they guard, but with Anbumon around, I wouldn't call any of those safe. They can't evolve without us there, and he could take out any of them anyway. We need somewhere they can get in touch with us as fast as possible, and where he might not think to look."

Sora considered Koushirou's information before she leaned forward herself. "I've got an idea. He might look there sooner or later, but it might last for a while. Maybe long enough to get Yamato back."

With Koushirou's permission, she pulled up a particular corner of the Digital World. "The Village of Beginnings. It's risky, but with everyone there, they could protect Elecmon and the baby Digimon if something happened."

"The Village of Beginnings?" Iori and Miyako asked in near-perfect unison. Hikari let out a tiny laugh.

"We haven't taken you there yet. We haven't needed to. The Kaiser pretty much ignores it. But it's where baby Digimon come from." She glanced from Sora to Jou to Koushirou to Miyako. "Most of them, anyway."

"And it looks like it's not just Elecmon there anymore," Koushirou said, his laptop back with him. "There's a new guardian there. Two of them, in fact."

All of those who'd been to the Village now looked right at him. "Who?"

Koushirou smiled and for the first time since knowing him, Miyako thought he resembled a cat more than anything else.

"One of them is Ogremon. The other one is my father."

* * *

Anbumon strolled into the dining area, with Taichi right behind him, too exhausted from their earlier activities to put up a fight, or even the least of protests.

The Kaiser sat at the head of the table, with Akigaramon at his feet, looking as worn out as Taichi, but for different reasons.

At least Anbumon thought the reasons would be different. He didn't really care to question it at the moment.

An empty seat waited at the Kaiser's right hand and Anbumon took it gracefully, motioning for Taichi to kneel beside him. Taichi gave him a very annoyed look and started to draw breath, probably to protest, until Anbumon cut him off, dragging him down by the collar to seal their lips together.

"Do as you're told and you won't be punished. Better still, I won't find Agumon and punish him in your stead," Anbumon murmured. "Can he still evolve to Ultimate? Would you like to see him go up against _me_?"

He'd never seen Taichi go that pale, nor did he miss the way Taichi's gaze shifted over to the Kaiser for a moment. Then the brunet sank down to his knees, the fight draining out for the moment. It would come back. Anbumon knew Taichi far too well to presume he'd give up after only a few hours under Anbumon's ministrations.

"I captured his Agumon once," the Kaiser said as he started eating, feeding Akigaramon a few bites along the way. The newly discovered Digimon ate greedily, though the fire in his eyes told Anbumon he was no more tamed than Taichi was.

These Children of Courage did take a while to submit, it seemed. But it was a good fight to get them under control and made the results very much worth it.

"Is that so?" Anbumon raised an eyebrow. "What happened there?" Clearly he'd been released somehow. Kaiser wasn't the type to just let a prisoner go, especially not one a powerful as Agumon.

Kaiser waved a hand. "It led to developing my Evil Spirals. But then this one," he tapped Akigaramon on the forehead, "found the Digimental of _Friendship_ and was able to break it."

Anbumon didn't find himself surprised at all to see the quick, shared look of triumph between the two of them. He closed his eyes for a moment or two, scouring the shared depths of memory between himself and Yamato. Finding that particular event wasn't hard; it hadn't happened that long ago, and he could not help but be amused at the pride Yamato had in the younger Chosen for sharing his virtue.

"Here." Kaiser set a goblet in front of Anbumon. "This is your next dose of the serum. You'll need to take it at least twice a day. I still need to research a more permanent version, but that shouldn't take long."

"It won't need to." Anbumon picked up the cup and stared into the murky depths before he drained it dry. "The longer that I'm around, the stronger I get."

He could feel the effects of the serum already, his strength increasing and the few vague flickers of Yamato, mostly stirred up by his encounter with Taichi, easing back down, covered by the folds of shadow that existed in his mind.

"Let him out," Taichi growled. "Get back to where you belong."

Anbumon slapped Taichi without looking at him. "No one told you that you could talk. Stay quiet or I'll find something else for you to do with your mouth that I'll enjoy much more."

He paid attention to his own meal then, declining to feed Taichi until the other stayed quiet for a full quarter of an hour. Some people simply needed training to learn their proper place. Better still, to accept it. Taichi was a long way from accepting his.

"We haven't uncovered his precise abilities as of yet," Kaiser continued, gesturing to Akigaramon. "But the more I train him, the more certain I am they'll show themselves, sooner or later."

Anbumon nodded; the more mortal peril a Digimon, born or hatched, was put in, then the better chances that their power would display itself. Evolution was also a possibility, but with the Spiral around Akigaramon's arm, he wasn't going to rest certain of that.

Bred Digimon changed the rules in _so_ many ways. It was one of the reasons he could stand up to his father, despite Piemon having thousands of years of experience on him.

The old clown certainly hadn't expected that, either. A soft reminiscing smile played over his lips at that.

Another thought slid in at the same moment, a rare time of quiet contemplation between himself and Piemon.

" _I didn't think I'd ever see you again. Gennai stole both of you when you were little more than babies." The clown did not look his age, at least not how humans would expect him to, but Anbumon knew very well that Piemon held the position of being the oldest Digimon short of the Digital Gods themselves, and he wasn't even properly certain of that._

 _"Both of us?" Anbumon didn't quite like the idea of there being someone else to possibly rival his power. He'd fought too hard over the last few weeks to attain the position that he had._

 _"I sired two sons on two different human women, both lured here through small cracks between the worlds." Piemon fiddled with a tiny knife as he spoke. "So far, you're the only one of them who has returned to the Digital World."_

 _Anbumon flexed his fingers. The other might not ever come back. Though given Gennai's trickery, it wasn't a certain and sure thing. He'd already ensured that at least half of the Chosen carried Digimon blood, and what reason for that? Another question to ask him once Anbumon got him underneath his blades._

 _"And what would his name be?" Anbumon wondered. He wanted to know, so that if he caught word of his 'brother', he would go out of his way to make certain he wasn't being challenged._

 _If that meant testing to see if born Digimon could be reconfigured or revived into_ _an egg, well,_ _ **someone**_ _had to be the first, didn't they?_

 _"Akogimon." Anbumon did not miss the pride in his father's voice. "I named you both before Gennai got his hands on you." Without warning, he threw the knife toward the nearest wall, burying it halfway to the hilt. "You are a strong son and a worthy heir, Anbumon, but I wanted the raising of you myself." He turned those mad eyes of his upon his son, who stared back without fear. "There would never have been that Gabumon or those humans to distract you from your purpose. I can't even imagine what 'connections' Akogimon will have to deal with."_

 _Anbumon rose to his feet and moved over to wrench the knife out, examining it himself. He knew well that Piemon could fall it back to him at any moment and the fact he didn't pleased Anbumon._

 _"Those connections mean nothing to me," Anbumon promised. He'd already made his first plans on backstabbing his father once they'd disposed of the Chosen Children. He was the most powerful in all of the Digital World and he deserved the unquestioned throne of the world. "You need fear **nothing**_ _, father."_

 _Nothing that wasn't Anbumon himself._

 _But the idea of Akogimon lurked in Anbumon's thoughts, a potential rival, someone who could stand up against him. Would he be a Chosen Child as well, with a partner of his own to increase his strength? Would he desire to fight to defend the Digital World or to claim it for his own? Neither of those could be allowed._ _ **Perhaps**_ _if he agreed to kneel to Anbumon and serve his elder brother properly, being his left hand as Gabumon would be his right – once_ _ **his**_ _training finished – he would consider sparing Akogimon._

 _Perhaps._

"Has there been any sign of the Chosen doing anything constructive as of yet?" Anbumon wanted to know, not really caring that much about the answer, but not wanting Kaiser to ask about what was on his mind.

He wanted to know a great deal, much of it starting to involve the Kaiser himself, but he chose not to express that at the moment. If Kaiser _was_ who Anbumon thought he might be, then it would be better to wait until he wasn't on guard and take him out then.

There were more differences between Yamato and Anbumon than many could guess. Yamato would do anything at all for his brother, protecting him to his last breath if the occasion required it and Takeru couldn't protect himself.

Anbumon would gleefully stab his own brother in the back, and if Akogimon wasn't quick enough to defend himself, then so be it.

The strongest ruled in the Digital World. Anbumon would never let himself be anything less.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes** : It's not a big secret of who Akogimon is, is it? I haven't really kept it a secret...


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Word Count:** 2,386|| **Story Word Count:** 23,824|| **Chapter Count:** 11/30  
 **Challenges:** February Secret Multichap Advent Exchange, prompt #6, sorrow  
 **Note:** More of Anbumon needing lessons in what actual consent means.

* * *

Taichi wanted to stay awake. At least he kept telling himself that. Sleeping around Anbumon wasn't really his decision to make, since if he stayed awake _too_ long, Anbumon would just put him to sleep whether he wanted to be or not.

At least it hadn't gone that far yet. Anbumon curled around him, hand carding through Taichi's hair, a low content rumble in his chest. Taichi wasn't going to claim that the dark prince was purring, but if it had been Yamato?

Yamato purred like a kitten and some things were the same between him and his dark half.

He knew he'd fall asleep sooner or later anyway. Anbumon worked him over thoroughly in the last hour or so, and it wasn't a kind of exercise he was used to. Nor, he knew, was it the kind that Anbumon wanted to have, sooner or later. For now, he'd confined his attentions to the use of hand or mouth and nothing more.

For now.

 _He wants to build up to it._ Taichi didn't need to ask Anbumon to know what was going through his mind. Some things he just knew. Building up stamina and learning all the little places that would make it far more intense and mind-blowing than if he just rammed right into it. Anbumon liked that kind of thing.

Taichi tried very hard not to think about how much he'd enjoyed what they'd already done. He didn't _want_ to enjoy it, let alone think about it.

He would've gladly enjoyed it if it were Yamato there, clever fingers on his skin, warm mouth on his, teasing tongue across acres of his anatomy. Enjoyed it, shamelessly begged for more, in fact.

 _I can't forget him. I've got to get him back._ He had to keep the fact this wasn't Yamato at the front of his mind. If he didn't, he knew the potential consequences. He wasn't going to let Yamato down like that.

This wasn't even close to anything they'd shared in the past, though more and more Taichi had begun thinking he should bring up something like this to his blond friend.

Anbumon's hand slipped down to rest on the back of Taichi's neck. "You're thinking about him."

Taichi wished he could deny it. But while Anbumon couldn't read his mind – at least he thought he couldn't – he could read his body very well indeed.

"So what if I am?"

"I don't like it." Anbumon's fingers moved up and down, stroking against the sensitive skin back there. "It's like you're cheating on me and I won't have it."

The side of Taichi's mouth twitched up. He couldn't help it. "You think I'm cheating on you with yourself?" He was _going_ to tell Yamato about that when this was all over. How could he not?

Anbumon's grip tightened now, sending a sharp stab of pain throughout Taichi. "He's not me and I'm not him. I'm _better_ than he is. At everything."

Taichi wanted to shake his head, but Anbumon didn't let him move for a moment. "That's not true. He's a better musician than you are." Which was absolute truth. Anbumon couldn't have carried a tune in the proverbial bucket.

But now his grip hardened even more and his other hand slid down Taichi in a dangerous, sensual arc.

"You're walking unsteady ground, Yagami Taichi. I don't think you really want me to get angry with you, do you?" Hot breath blew against Taichi's ear as Anbumon spoke. "You know how much I can _hurt_ you if I want. Even better, I can hurt your precious Digimon: or your precious sister."

Taichi froze at that. If it had been anyone else, he would've driven a fist into their face at the very thought of hurting Hikari. He might've enjoyed watching Angewomon do it too, but he claimed first rights to the task.

The only thing that held him back from doing it to Anbumon was that he couldn't get a good hit in from this position, and Anbumon would put him to sleep if he even tried to move. Plus, he didn't really want to hurt the person the body actually belonged to.

Damn it, life was so much easier when he could just punch the bad guy or let Agumon fry them. Why did their lives have to get so complicated?

Anbumon's hand circled him slowly. "Calm down. Behave yourself and I won't hurt them." A soft laugh that held little humor to it. "I won't promise that I'll not watch as Kaiser hurts them, though. I certainly won't protect them from him. But I won't do anything to them: as long as you're my very good boyfriend." A slow, lengthy stroke. "And more."

Taichi's breath caught in his throat at the languorous pulse of pleasure that slid through him from Anbumon's touch. The bastard always knew just where to go to make something feel far better than it should have.

"Most people _ask_ first," he hissed, sliding one hand down to fist in the sheets beneath him. He wanted to dig his fingers into his own palm, to cause pain of some kind, since Anbumon clearly wasn't going to co operate by actually _hurting_ him.

No, worse, the bastard would make it all feel good and for a few moments every time, Taichi had to _think_ to recall that he wanted none of this.

 _Yamato. Yamato. I want_ _ **Yamato**_ _._ If it took repeating that a thousand times whenever Anbumon got intimate, then he'd do it a _million_ times.

Anbumon moved the hand that was on Taichi's neck around to tilt his head up so their eyes met. "When I said 'behave yourself', what I mean is that you don't think about him anymore. You're never going to get him back."

There was such simple, uncomplicated _belief_ in those words that Taichi almost believed them, at least for a few burning seconds. Then he steeled himself harder.

"No. That's not true."

Anbumon's eyes glittered, even as his grip on Taichi's chin tightened. "Perhaps it is. Perhaps not. But imagine if he did somehow get his body back… and you didn't want him anymore?" The hand not on Taichi's chin began to stroke again, sending more barbs of pleasure all through Taichi with each movement. "Do you really think I _can't_ make you forget him? I wouldn't even need the Mushrooms of Forgetfulness...though his reaction when you don't even know his name anymore would be _fascinating_." Anbumon licked his lips, staring down into Taichi's eyes and not letting him speak. "I'm going to make you mine in every way you can think of. _If_ he ever returns to this form, you'll want _me_ back."

Taichi tried to shake his head and when he tried harder to say something, Anbumon swallowed the words with a deep kiss, before he started to demonstrate exactly what he meant by making Taichi his.

* * *

"I don't like gym class when the _teachers_ want me to do it, and I _like_ most of them! I don't like this any better just because _you're_ telling me to do it!" Daisuke spat out, glaring at the Kaiser. Kaiser just looked back at him.

"You've at least accomplished your first task," he said, as if Daisuke hadn't even opened his mouth. "But while you are fast, _almost_ as fast as I am, we still need to uncover your exact abilities aside from rapid healing."

Daisuke breathed in, fists clenching, trying to remember that if he didn't keep his captor happy to some extent, he wouldn't see V-mon. He wouldn't get a chance to escape. And he was going to have those things.

"Therefore, this is your second task." Kaiser snapped his fingers and the cages across the way rumbled open. "Defeat those Digimon. You are not allowed to remove their Rings or Spirals in any fashion. Disable them by other means."

Daisuke set his hands on his hips and glared harder. He was getting really good at glaring, when it was all he could really do. "How do you expect me to do that?" He would gladly have broken every Ring and Spiral he could see, including the one on his own arm, if he knew how he could do it.

"That's your own decision to make. You are a Digimon. You have at least one attack, perhaps two. Given your status of a Perfect level, I expect those attacks to be quite powerful."

The Digimon started to move closer, and Kaiser turned his attention towards them, raising his voice when he spoke. "Attack V-mon. Destroy him if you can. Trample Daisuke if he gets in your way."

Daisuke lost precious time staring at the Kaiser as the enslaved Digimon surged to where V-mon's cage sat. Kaiser delivered a chilly look in return.

"The only thing that will stop your partner from being crushed underfoot will be _you_. If you can. I would suggest getting started on it."

Daisuke knew a few more rude words than were probably good for him and muttered them all as he focused on the Digimon coming his way. Kaiser now had V-mon's cage hung where he couldn't get to it very well, but close enough for all of those Digimon – most of them a lot bigger than he was – could swipe at it without much effort.

He tried to get a good look at all the Digimon he was up against, but the light wasn't that good in here, nor could he get any of them to stand still long enough so he could count them. Monochromon, Tyrannomon, AirDramon, a couple of Bakemon, those were the ones he could be absolutely certain of.

 _How am I supposed to attack them?_ He didn't want to hurt them, not when they were all as much enslaved as he was, if not more. _They're definitely going to attack me, though!_

A fireball shot toward him and Daisuke dropped out of the line of fire just in the nick of time, rolling to what he thought was an empty part of the room. He wasn't going to convince himself of it until he got there and there wasn't anyone there.

He needed to learn how to attack. However that would work.

Daisuke wasn't much for logic, being more of a do-er than a thinker, but he could guess a few things. Most Digimon seemed to use their powers either in self-defense or to protect their human partner. That was how it kinda worked with V-mon when he'd evolved to FlaDramon or Lighdramon. He'd kick-started it with the Digimental.

Which sort of meant that he would either need to defend himself or V-mon. Did it work like that? It kind of had to, didn't it?

But if he were trying to defend himself...well, he couldn't do that? He didn't need to? Not when he healed as fast as he did?

He couldn't figure it out. If he'd had Koushirou-san to talk to, then maybe that would've made a difference.

What he had was the Kaiser holding V-mon hostage and about to be squashed flat and even if Kaiser somehow stopped that – because he would and he could – Daisuke still wasn't going to see him until he did whatever it was the Kaiser wanted, and he _didn't_ want to do that. Not at all.

But he had no choice. If he didn't do it, then he would have to depend on the Kaiser having even a little bit of good sense, let alone good will. He couldn't count on that.

It ran through his mind, quick as a lightning flash. V-mon needed him. V-mon was going to _die_ if he didn't stop this.

Energy as he'd never known before crackled through him, centering itself in his hands, power rising from the depth of his core, a growing tide of strength that shaped itself in his mind into a form he'd never seen from any Digimon before.

A pair of words rose from his lips, words he'd never said like this before, but with their uttering he could feel the power focus stronger and lash out from his fingertips in the form of tiny white-winged creatures – birds he thought vaguely, unable to focus on their exact form – that swarmed toward the nearest of the Digimon and batted them back.

" _Bright Wing_!"

It didn't do enough to break the Rings or Spirals. Daisuke thought it could have, if he knew more about what he was doing, and if they were in places he could hit. He saw what he'd missed before, even as he tried to remember how to stand up on his own feet: the Kaiser had set each Ring and Spiral where it could almost _not_ be destroyed, just because of how difficult it would be to get to them.

He didn't trust Daisuke not to at least try to free them.

Probably a good idea.

But they weren't stopping. He'd only pushed them back. Some of them were still trying to get to V-mon, and the chain that held V-mon's cage lowered, bringing him into easier reach.

"That's a good beginning," Kaiser said. "But you're not done yet. Keep going. Learn what you can do."

Daisuke drew in a stuttering deep breath and forced himself to focus. He didn't know how much good it would do but he had no other options. "When am I going to be done?"

"When I say that you are. Or when you pass out, whichever comes first." Kaiser smiled at him, the kind of smile that would send shivers of terror through anyone who saw it. "I suggest that you hurry. If you pass out, who will stop them from hurting your precious partner?"

Daisuke spat the words out without even thinking. "You could! You could stop all of this!"

Kaiser tilted his head for a moment of thought. "You're right. I could. But I won't. You're the only one will end this, Daisuke." He smiled again and Daisuke didn't like it this time any more than he had before. "And you'd better hurry. Time is running out."

If looks alone could have killed, the problem of the Digimon Kaiser would've ended that very moment. Daisuke whirled away and stalked to where the Digimon still circled V-mon, determined to finish this as fast as he could.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Sorry for being late with this, but Camp NaNoWriMo took a metric ton out of me. I will be working to catch up, though. So, there should be more chapters later in the week for this and for my current crossover.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Word Count:** 2,198|| **Story Word Count:** 26,022|| **Chapter Count:** 12/30  
 **Challenges:** February Secret Multichap Advent Exchange, prompt #28, tears

* * *

If Yamato had been able to do so without committing some strange form of suicide, he would've wrapped his hands around Anbumon's throat and squeezed until his dark side's eyes popped out of his head.

How _dare_ he touch Taichi like that! How dare he treat Takeru like some kind of a _slave_! How dare he do _any_ of this!?

In full fairness, Yamato wasn't at all surprised that Anbumon chose to side with the Kaiser, and suspected that he planned to overthrow him at some point. That was just how Anbumon _thought_. He didn't take a back seat to anyone for very long.

After all, the dark prince had once made plans to back stab his own father. Someone like the Kaiser? Not even a stumbling block.

What held him back from having done it already...well, as far as Yamato knew, there were two things: he wanted to play with Taichi – which still sent whatever passed for blood at the moment in Yamato seething through him with scarlet fury – and he needed that elixir to maintain control of the body.

That held Yamato's attention more than anything aside from the rage at Anbumon's treatment of the people he care about the most. That elixir was the key to it all: if it could be purged from their body or if Anbumon couldn't get his hands on a dose of it in time, then Yamato stood a chance to get his form back.

 _If I could do something about that..._ He wanted to. He wanted to dig his fingers into Anbumon and keep him away from Taichi and Takeru and Daisuke and the elixir and remind that twisted piece of himself that he was only a _piece_ , only a small shard created by Piemon's meddling and Viral blood and there wasn't any way that he'd ever be anything more.

And yet he couldn't. He screamed at the top of his lungs – even without having them right now – and Anbumon cheerfully continued doing what he was doing, as if Yamato hadn't said a thing. For all intents and purposes, he probably hadn't.

He could see what was going on, to some extent. He knew very well everything that Anbumon did with Taichi and how Taichi struggled against it.

 _Did he want… with me?_

Yamato wondered. He'd known for some time that he wasn't precisely attracted exclusively to the ladies. An attractive form could catch his eye no matter what.

And whether Taichi knew it or not, his form had definitely caught Yamato's eye. He'd just never known for certain if Taichi could possibly return the attraction.

 _So now what do I do?_ Yamato stared down at his hands, striped more with the calluses of a musician than a warrior, unlike Anbumon. His dark side preferred combat to anything else, and while he had no idea of how Anbumon could practice in this endless emptiness of his own mind, he somehow had managed it.

He didn't know if that would help him get his body back, let alone do something about the situation with Taichi, but he had to do something. He couldn't sit in here and scream to the starless heavens forever.

A sweep of his hands was all it took to bring one of his swords into existence. He knew he had two; with everything else he tended to his right hand, but for swordplay, he'd learned from the beginning to use both. Piemon had been a very exacting teacher in that regard.

He'd learned a lot from his sire. He refused even now to think of him as a 'father'.

 _Not that he ever cared about that._ Piemon only demanded obedience from the Chosen he'd lured away from the others, the Chosen they'd both learned carried his own blood.

 _I always knew he didn't see me as anything but someone to be used. But after we found that out..._

Yamato's shoulders tensed in memory. He'd left the Chosen only a few days earlier, as far as he could tell. Time seemed _off_ in the Digital World after their return from defeating Vamdemon. But it hadn't been that long. Enough time for a few meals and a few rests and slowly starting to realize that maybe he hadn't made the right choice to go with Piemon.

Leaving the Chosen he believed, and would always believe, _was_ the right choice. He needed to get his head sorted on a lot of things, and even with all the problems of the Dark Masters and their domination of the Digital World going on, he needed to do that alone.

As amazing and terrifying as that moment had been, what still came up clearer in his mind than any other was when he'd first spoken to Piemon face to face.

* * *

Gabumon remained a warm presence by his side as Yamato wandered through the Digital World forest. He wanted to pay attention to what was going on around him. They were on their own and it was dangerous like this. They could get jumped at any moment and while he trusted Gabumon's fighting strength, they were still one against… well, who knew.

"Whatever do we have here?"

Yamato's head snapped up at the voice, just a trace familiar, and when he met those mad scarlet eyes, he stepped back.

Piemon hovered a short distance away, a smile on his lips that sent chills through every ounce of the Chosen of Friendship. As soon as he saw Yamato moving back, however, and Gabumon moving forward, he raised both hands.

"I'm not here to fight you, Chose of Friendship," Piemon said, what Yamato guessed was meant to be a charming tilt to his head. He wasn't charmed. Not with that smile and not with those eyes and not remembering how they'd been 'greeted' on their return to the Digital World.

Not with the searing memory of how Piemon stared at him for a few moments then still lurking in the back of his mind.

"Then what are you here or?" Gabumon wanted to know. He could evolve in the space of a second, but would that be fast enough?

Piemon did not stop smiling. That alone should've warned Yamato, he thought later. Much later when it was far too late to change the past.

"I only want to talk to you. I swear that you'll leave this conversation without a single injury on either of you." Piemon raise one hand higher, as if actually making a promise. Yamato's trust didn't change one little bit.

But what Piemon said after that came as something of a surprise.

"I've watched all of you for a long time. Since you first came to the Digital World, in fact. I saw you learning and I saw you fight Devimon. I must say that I am impressed with how much you've grown in such a short time. Digimon who don't have partners can take years to evolve to Adult, let alone anything past that."

Yamato said nothing at all. The idea of this monster having watched them for months? More chills than he'd ever thought possible.

Piemon kept on going. "What I have also noticed is that you and Yagami Taichi don't get along."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Yamato demanded, fists clenching. "Taichi's my friend!"

Even if he was taking better care of Takeru than Yamato was. Even if Takeru liked him more than he liked Yamato.

Piemon waved a hand casually. "Of course he is. You may not believe it, but I do understand something of how humans interact with one another. I've known humans before, you see. But what I mean is that he's taking things from you that you want. That you need. That are rightfully yours in the first place."

A sly smile slid its way onto his lips now. "Is that really the action of a friend? To take away that which is yours? Would you do that to someone? To him?"

Yamato's mouth opened but he said nothing at all. Finally he closed it, quietly shaking his head. He didn't have much that anyone could take. He never had. But first … first Takeru had been taken when he couldn't say or do anything about it.

And now, when he had time to get to know his little brother and take care of him, the way that a big brother _should_ , along came Taichi. Who knew how to be a big brother. Who was more or less good at it.

And Takeru stared at him with starry eyes, while turning away from Yamato, who only wanted to keep him safe.

Piemon nodded, as if that were all that he'd wanted to hear.

"I want you to be aware of this, Ishida Yamato: so long as Taichi keeps taking things away from you, you'll never be able to fully activate the power of your Crest. It stems from your faith in your friends and theirs in you. Do you truly have that faith in him?"

Again Yamato opened his mouth to say something and again there weren't any words that came out.

Gabumon nudged him, his eyes a much warmer and warier red than Piemon's were, something much better to look at. "You know you and Taichi are friends! And no one else can be Takeru's brother but you! That's just how it works!"

"Really?" Piemon chuckled at that. "What do you know of humans and how they see families, little Child? I've watched humans for a very long time. They can and do adopt folk they weren't blood related to and consider them as valid and important as any other." He did not move and yet Yamato couldn't shake the feeling that he loomed regardless.

He still struggled to speak. "He's right. Humans do things like that." He remembered someone he'd gone to school with whose father remarried a few years after his wife passed away and while it had taken some time, their family worked matters out, and everyone seemed happier for it.

This wasn't the same thing but he'd also known people who liked their friends or their distant family better than the people they were closely related to and lived with. He didn't think that was _wrong_ , but it didn't help the images that slowly shimmered in the back of his mind.

Takeru going to Taichi for help. Taichi, with his experience in how to be a brother, telling Takeru things he wanted or needed.

Both of them laughing at Yamato's inexperience and ineptitude when it came to giving advice about anything.

Both of them turning away from him, going off together.

Yamato found himself jerked out of the sudden cascade of images by Piemon's hand tilting his head up. Their eyes met and Yamato had never thought to see such understanding in someone that he considered an enemy.

"I can help you. I can help you be stronger, more experienced. I can help make you into the kind of person that your brother would want to come to for advice. The kind of people who others listen to when the situation warrants it. I can make you stronger than Taichi could ever hope of being."

His voice slithered into Yamato's ears. Yamato thought he heard Gabumon, but what Piemon said was so much more appealing that he didn't listen at all.

"All I ask is that you come with me. I will train you. I will teach you. You'll be my student."

Gabumon's clawed paw dug into Yamato's and he jerked away, a muffled oath on his lips.

"You're not going to listen to him, are you, Yamato?"

For a moment, Yamato hung in the balance. Then he answered. "Why not? He's not asking anything I can't give." He wasn't asking that Yamato betray the Chosen. Oh, he'd probably want them to fight eventually. Yamato wasn't stupid at all. He hadn't forgotten for a moment that Piemon was their enemy.

But the idea of learning enough _from_ their enemy to fight him, to use what he learned to save the Digital World… Yamato liked that. He wanted it. To see everyone staring at him in awe and being so appreciative of his existence...oh, he wanted that. He wanted that so very much.

* * *

 _I was an idiot._ Yamato examined the gleam of his blade, recalling the pain he'd felt at the idea of no one caring about him every again. Piemon played on that, played him like a harp, and lured him first into complacency, then trust, then slowly stoked his anger until it raged out against the Chosen.

Piemon never asked him to attack them. That had all been his own decision from the beginning. Piemon praised and petted and admired, and Yamato fell into it without a glance back.

 _He made me into a warrior. Then he made me into Anbumon. And now that part of me wants to take everything that really is mine._

He hadn't let that happen before, even when it really hadn't been. And now that it was, he still wouldn't let it happen.

And if he had to somehow find a way to kill part of himself, then he'd do it.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** I thought it was time we saw what Yamato was doing. Not that he can do much at the moment. But we also got backstory for him!


	13. Chapter 13

**Word Count:** 28,045/60,000|| **Chapter Count:** 13/30  
 **Challenges:** February Secret Multichap Advent Exchange, prompt #4, friendly

* * *

Iori wasn't entirely certain of how to take all of this. If he hadn't already adjusted to the existence of Digimon in general, he didn't think he could wrap his head around the idea of ones that weren't all Digimon. Or not all human?

The fact that they were some of his sort of friends – fellow Chosen, at the least – just made it a little easier. Or possibly even harder.

One thing he knew for certain was that this was all _confusing_ and he didn't even have to deal with Digimon blood personally.

He took a quick look at Miyako, who was deep in conversation with Sora-san. What little he could hear told him that Sora-san encouraged her to talk to her parents about her situation and see what they knew.

 _I thought we weren't supposed to tell our parents about Digimon._ Perhaps when you were half-Digimon, the rules were different? He could understand that.

Everything was already confusing with the Digital World itself, not to mention Ichijouji Ken being the Digimon Kaiser. This added an extra level that he hadn't yet begun to work out.

"This is the Village of Beginnings," Koushirou-san said, waving one hand toward the place spreading out before them. Iori looked from this way to that; of all the places he'd seen in the Digital World so far, this one… he had no words at all to describe it. The closest he could come was _cute_

A broad expanse of meadow lay before them, with heaps of blocks stacked up on one another, and many eggs everywhere. The meadow under his feet gave a little, and he stared down at it for a moment as it dawned on him.

"It's… bouncy?" He'd never walked on _bouncy_ ground before!

Koushirou nodded. "Everything here is meant to protect the Digimon hatchlings." He gestured and Iori followed the movement to where he could see a collection of small Digimon giggling together, all of their attention on a much larger Digimon that Iori decided at once that he wouldn't have wanted to meet in a dark alleyway. Or a lighted alleyway; those teeth were _terrifying_.

The small Digimon didn't show the slightest bit of fear of the big one, some of them even sitting on him. Iori saw a long bone club on the ground next to him, and up until he caught sight of the Chosen moving over, he thought he saw that huge mouth turned up into a smile.

"Ogremon!" Jou-san called out, waving briefly. "Hello there!"

"Hey!" Ogremon started to wave back before he tucked his arm down by his side and sniffed. "What are you kids doing here? Thought you'd be dealing with that Digimon Kaiser guy."

"We are. But we've got another problem." Jou-san started to answer, but Ogremon looked from one of them to another, then jerked himself to his feet, small Digimon scattering every which way.

"Don't tell me. It's _him_ , isn't it?" He sounded more terrified than Iori had ever imagined a creature like this could be.

Jou-san and Koushirou-san both nodded, neither especially thrilled about it. They'd told a few stories about what had happened during their own adventure three years earlier, far more than they'd ever let on before, mostly about Prince Anbumon and his utterly ruthless ways.

What little Iori knew about Ishida Yamato made him wonder all the more how these two could be the same person.

"He's not coming here, is he?" Ogremon wanted to know, the little Digimon starting to move closer. "That's not why you're here?"

Jou shook his head. "No. At least he's not coming that we know of, but I'd still find some way to set a guard. Just in case."

"He's working with the Digimon Kaiser," Sora added, picking up a small red Digimon and holding it tenderly. "They might not consider the Village worth the effort, but I wouldn't want to take that chance."

Ogremon nodded, but Iori could tell he was still terrified of the actual idea of Anbumon arriving there. Who wouldn't be? All he could see as far as he looked were nothing but eggs and hatchlings. They couldn't have put up a decent fight against a wet paper bag.

 _Then that's why we're here. So they don't have to._ Iori squared his mental shoulders. What little he'd seen of Anbumon's power didn't make him look forward to such a fight, but if they could somehow get Taichi-san and Daisuke back, then wouldn't it be better for them?

So much that he barely knew, and could barely even understand no matter how hard he tried.

"I'll speak to some of my friends," a new voice spoke up. Iori turned with the others to see two new Digimon striding up. Iori remembered having saved several like the smaller one before; they were called Elecmon, and Hikari-san told them that this Elecmon guarded the village and its inhabitants.

But the other one… his breath caught in his throat at the sight of a tall, brawny lion-like Digimon, with a golden mane and warm blue eyes. Something else seemed a bit familiar about him as well, but he couldn't figure out what it was just yet.

"Leomon!" Sora waved cheerfully at him, some of the tension gripping her easing at the sight. He nodded toward them all, glancing momentarily at Miyako and Iori, as well as their partners.

"I see you have new friends." He bent his head for a moment, then turned his full attention onto Koushirou. "Oushimon."

Koushirou bent his head in return, far more respect in his expression than Iori recalled ever seeing towards anyone else, even Taichi-san. "Leomon."

The leonine Digimon smiled for a heartbeat or two before he raised up one huge fist. Koushirou leaped forward in the same moment, while Jou and Sora waved the rest of the Chosen back. Elecmon gathered up the little Digimon, while Ogremon just rolled his eyes.

Iori barely had time to realize what was going on. His first thought was that perhaps Leomon was under the influence of an Evil Ring or Spiral. But none could be seen anywhere and then a brilliant burst of lion-shaped light came from his fist toward Koushirou.

Koushirou dodged out of the way, faster than Iori had ever dreamed someone could move. He leaped his way to the top of a nearby tree and lashed outward with a burst of energy of his own, slicing towards Leomon. The taller Digimon flicked it out of the way with the flat of his sword and jumped forward, muzzle wrinkling back into a cheerful grin.

Ogremon snorted as the two dodged back and forth, cleverly avoiding eggs and young Digimon alike, exchanging blows of energy and fists with equal fervor.

"They're sparring," Iori murmured. He'd seen that kind of thing before when he worked out with his grandfather, but this was a different level of skill. It wasn't just the weaponry involved, but how they used it against one another and still took such care to bring no harm to anyone.

"Of course they are!" Ogremon declared, fingering his club. "They do that every time that they meet each other. Leomon needs the practice. He's only been back in his Adult form for a couple of years." He sniffed for a moment. "I helped."

Miyako eyed him at those words. "You did?"

"Course I did! He's the only decent sparring partner I've got _and_ my eternal enemy!" Ogremon waved his club toward the other two and Iori thought he saw Leomon waving back before returning to his sparring. "Think I was just going to leave him a little Baby forever?"

Jou's hand rested on Iori's shoulder for a moment and the youngest Chosen looked up at him. "They're not just sparring. Have you noticed?"

Iori frowned before he turned his full attention back to them. They'd moved farther down to where there was more room, not nearly as many eggs, and all the hatchlings could gather and watch and coo in amazement. This also took him a few moments to wrap his head around.

"So Anbumon has Taichi, and the Kaiser's probably itching to find out why Daisuke was immune to the fire. Takeru's in there somewhere but we don't have any information other than that, and we really need some." Koushirou took some effort to speak, but he passed along the information as well as he parried each blow and struck his own.

"I think I may know a way to help you," Leomon said, "or at least a chance, if he's willing to try."

Somewhere, somehow, Koushirou had acquired a sword, much like Leomon's, but more slender. It didn't appear to be any weaker, as his sword and Leomon's scraped across one another in a cacophony of grinding metal.

"I thought you might be able to help. That's one reason we came here." Koushirou stepped back and even from his distance, he could see the sweat and the strain on his features.

 _But I think he's enjoying this, too._

"And the other one?" Leomon sheathed his sword and leaped back as well, the two of them circling one another like...like cats. Iori wondered how much Digimon felines were like Earth cats and decided at least these two were pretty close.

"We want to make certain our partners are safe. The Kaiser's already put a Spiral on Agumon once. We don't trust Anbumon not to go after them."

Leomon nodded, before he drew himself up, the sensation of being battle ready fading away from him. He smiled down at Koushirou.

"You're getting much better."

Koushirou offered a small smile of his own. "Thank you, Father."

Iori blinked a time or two as the word sank in. Now he remembered: Koushirou-san had indeed mentioned that his father lived in the Village of Beginnings, but he hadn't made the right connections, not yet. He would have to do better than that.

Granted, seeing someone normally as devoted to solving issues with the application of his mind instead of his muscles throwing energy bolts around, as well as handling a sword, was more than a little disconcerting. He wondered what it would be like to see all of those who had Digimon blood in battle together.

He couldn't help but look forward to it, even if fighting in a _real_ fight made him somewhat sick to his stomach. Fighting the Kaiser's slaves wasn't such a bad thing. Shattering the Rings and Spirals meant that they would be free, after all. But fighting in a battle where there weren't any such things?

No. They weren't going to do that. Exactly how the Kaiser awakened Anbumon they didn't know but it had to be something that they could reverse. Iori refused to even think otherwise.

Leomon and Koushirou came back over to them. Koushirou only waited until they were close enough to speak before he started to lay out what was on his mind.

"We need information from inside the Kaiser's fortress. We need to find out where it is and how to get in there, or at the least, what's going on with everyone else. If we can find out how to free Yamato, that would work the best."

Miyako nodded eagerly, her eyes bright with anticipation. "So what do you have in mind, Izumi-sempai?"

Koushirou and Leomon both turned directly towards Ogremon. "I thought we could ask you for some help," Koushirou said. "You could blend in there better than anyone else that I know about."

Ogremon stared as if he'd not entirely heard what had been said correctly. Iori wasn't certain that he'd heard it right himself. Why let a Digimon, who could be affected by an Evil Ring or Spiral, go into the Kaiser's domain, instead of someone who couldn't be? So far as they knew, humans couldn't be affected by those. Which in this case meant himself or Hikari-san.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Ogremon declared, his grip on his club tight to the point small pieces of it splintered. "I won't do it!"

"I will!" Iori declared, stepping forward, fists clenched. "Let me do it, please!"

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Written  & posted for day #5 of WIP Week: Most popular WIP. As always, I'll update when I can, but I don't know when that will be.


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